Messi Makes History With Four World Cup Records

Lionel Messi delivered another landmark performance as Argentina beat Austria 2-0 at Dallas Stadium to seal qualification for the Round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The defending champions were in control for long spells and secured their second straight win of the tournament with a commanding display. Argentina created several clear chances in the first half and even missed a penalty before Messi finally opened the scoring in the 38th minute.

That goal proved historic, as the Argentina captain moved past Germany’s Miroslav Klose to become the leading goal scorer in FIFA World Cup history. Messi had entered the match level with Klose on 16 goals, but his opener took him to 17. He then added another in stoppage time to raise his tally to 18 goals in 28 World Cup appearances.

Messi had already netted a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening World Cup 2026 match against Algeria, and his latest brace against Austria further strengthened his remarkable record on football’s biggest stage.

Most Goals in FIFA World Cup History

The 38-year-old also reached another major milestone by scoring in six consecutive World Cup matches. With that feat, he joined France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho, while also becoming the first Argentine player to score in six straight games in the competition.

Consecutive Scoring Matches in FIFA World Cup History

Messi’s night of records did not end there. He also extended his achievements for the most World Cup matches played by an individual, the most World Cup wins by a player with 18, and the most minutes played in tournament history with 2,489.