Messi Breaks World Cup Goalscoring Record With Brace Against Austria

Lionel Messi has added yet another remarkable chapter to his legendary career. The Argentina captain scored twice in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday to become the outright leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history.

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Entering the match level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, Messi needed just one strike to equal the record and a second to stand alone at the summit. He delivered both.

At 39 years old and playing in what is expected to be his final FIFA World Cup, Messi once again proved that age is merely a number when it comes to football’s greatest stage.

History Made Once Again

Few records in football have seemed as untouchable as Klose’s tally of 16 World Cup goals.

The German striker set the mark across four tournaments between 2002 and 2014 and has stood alone as the competition’s leading scorer for more than a decade.

Now that record belongs to Messi.

After scoring a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s opening match, Messi entered the Austria clash needing one goal to draw level with Klose and two to move clear.

He wasted little time.

The Argentine superstar found the net twice as the reigning world champions secured another important victory and booked their place in the knockout stages.

With 18 World Cup goals to his name, Messi now stands alone as the most prolific goalscorer in the history of the tournament.

A Record Built Across Six World Cups

What makes the achievement even more remarkable is the longevity required to accomplish it.

Messi made his World Cup debut as a teenager at Germany 2006. Twenty years later, he is still delivering on football’s biggest stage.

His World Cup goals have now come across six separate tournaments, highlighting an extraordinary level of consistency that few players in sporting history have ever achieved.

From his breakthrough years to his World Cup triumph in Qatar and now his record-breaking exploits in 2026, Messi has continued to evolve while remaining one of the game’s defining figures.

Argentina’s Perfect Start Continues

While the headlines will rightly focus on Messi, Argentina will be equally pleased with their start to the tournament.

Victories over Algeria and Austria have placed Lionel Scaloni’s side firmly on course for the knockout stages as they attempt to defend the trophy they won in Qatar four years ago.

The world champions have looked composed, balanced and clinical in their opening matches.

Most importantly, they still have Messi.

As long as the Argentine captain remains fit and firing, Argentina will continue to believe that back-to-back World Cup titles are possible.