Lionel Messi Makes History, Becomes Highest Goalscorer in World Cup History

Lionel Messi has added another remarkable achievement to his legendary career during the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Argentina captain scored twice against Austria in a Group J match in Dallas, helping his team secure a 2-0 victory and book a place in the Round of 32. With his first goal of the game, Messi surpassed German great Miroslav Klose's long-standing World Cup record of 16 goals. The Argentine superstar then struck again to take his overall World Cup tally to 18 goals, making him the highest goalscorer in the tournament's history. The 38-year-old continued to show why he is regarded as one of football's greatest players. Although Messi missed an early penalty after Lautaro Martinez was fouled inside the box, he bounced back strongly and delivered a match-winning performance to become the hero for Argentina. Messi's latest goal also marked his sixth consecutive World Cup appearance in which he has found the net, equalling the record held by France's Just Fontaine and Brazil's Jairzinho. A goal in Argentina's next match would see him become the sole owner of that record. Earlier in the tournament, Messi had already broken another milestone by becoming the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick at the age of 38. He also registered his 11th international hat-trick for Argentina, overtaking Brazil's Ronaldo. Meanwhile, France's Kylian Mbappe is keeping up the pressure. After scoring twice against Iraq, Mbappe moved to 16 World Cup goals and currently sits second on the all-time list, making the race for more records even more exciting.