- Lionel Messi scored twice in a 2–0 win over Austria to reach 18 career World Cup goals, officially surpassing Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16) as the all-time men’s leading goalscorer.
- This historic milestone caps off a 20-year World Cup career that began with his first tournament goal as an 18-year-old against Serbia and Montenegro on June 16, 2006.
- Spanning six World Cups, Messi’s record includes a golden 7-goal run to the 2022 trophy in Qatar and a historic hat-trick against Algeria in 2026 to tie the record before claiming it outright against Austria.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi secured ultimate footballing immortality on Monday at Dallas Stadium, becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history.
Facing Austria in the second match of Group J, the 38-year-old icon struck twice in a 2–0 victory, elevating his tournament tally to an unprecedented 18 career goals.
The historic achievement moves Messi clear of Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who previously held the men’s record with 16 goals.
ALSO READ: Argentina vs Austria: Messi sets new World Cup scoring record, sends Argentina to knockout stage
The story began on June 16, 2006, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, when an 18-year-old Messi made his tournament debut against Serbia and Montenegro.
Entering the pitch as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 75th minute, the long-haired teenager needed only thirteen minutes to make history, latching onto a pass to slide home a left-footed tap-in to round off a 6–0 victory.
The strike made him Argentina’s youngest-ever World Cup goalscorer. Yet, the road ahead would test him severely, as he went entirely goalless through five matches under Diego Maradona’s management at South Africa 2010, despite pulling the creative strings for his nation.
Redemption on a personal level arrived at Brazil 2014, where Messi captained Argentina and single-handedly dragged them through the group stage.
He broke his eight-year World Cup goal drought with a brilliant, trademark left-footed curled finish against Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by a dramatic 91st-minute match-winner from outside the box against Iran.
He concluded his group-stage with a stunning brace against Nigeria, including a magnificent 25-yard direct free kick. Though he won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, a heartbreaking 1–0 extra-time defeat to Germany in the final left his ultimate dream unfulfilled.
Four years later at Russia 2018, amidst tactical chaos within the Argentine camp, Messi managed just a single goal,a breathtaking piece of control and right-footed finish against Nigeria before a painful Round of 16 exit against France.
Everything changed at Qatar 2022, a tournament that will forever define Messi’s international legacy. Standing on the precipice of his final grand opportunity, the maestro produced an astounding seven goals, scoring in every single knockout round for the first time in his career.
He opened with a penalty against Saudi Arabia, struck a cl low drive from distance to save Argentina’s campaign against Mexico, and scored a first-time placed finish against Australia in the Round of 16.
In the quarter-finals against the Netherlands, he coolly dispatched a penalty before converting another spot-kick against Croatia in the semi-finals.
The crowning achievement came in Lusail during an unforgettable final against France, where Messi scored twice,a calm first-half penalty and a dramatic, scrambled extra-time finish before lifting the elusive World Cup trophy and securing his second Golden Ball.
Rather than stepping away at the absolute peak, Messi extended his international journey into a record-breaking sixth tournament at the 2026 World Cup.
He opened the tournament in blistering fashion, celebrating the exact 20-year anniversary of his debut by smashing a historic hat-trick against Algeria to level Miroslav Klose’s men’s scoring record of 16 goals.
Then, on June 22, 2026, the circle was completed in Dallas against Austria. After uncharacteristically missing an early penalty, Messi showcased his unmatched mental resilience.
In the 38th minute, he finished a sweeping team move with a first-time left-footed strike to claim his 17th goal, moving past Klose.
Deep into stoppage time, in the 95th minute, he pounced on a loose rebound in a crowded penalty area to fire home his 18th career World Cup goal, standing entirely alone at the apex of football history.
Read more about other World Cup teams in 2026 below:
Morocco national football team 2026
Argentina national football team 2026
Mexico national football team 2026
Spain national football team 2026
Brazil national football team 2026
France national football team 2026
Senegal national football team 2026