Lionel Messi has officially cemented his place as the most prolific goalscorer in World Cup history after netting against Austria on Monday to bring his career tournament tally to 17 goals.
The historic moment arrived in the 38th minute of Argentina’s second group-stage fixture. Stepping up to erase the memory of an earlier penalty miss, the 38-year-old captain swept the ball into the back of the net, sparking deafening celebrations across the packed Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
With this strike, the iconic forward surpassed Germany’s Miroslav Klose, whose long-standing record of 16 goals Messi had matched just last week during an outstanding hat-trick performance against Algeria.
Currently participating in his sixth World Cup since making his debut in 2006, the Inter Miami star has now amassed an astonishing 121 goals in 201 appearances for La Albiceleste. His continued brilliance on the global stage strengthens Argentina’s quest to become the first nation to successfully defend a World Cup title since Brazil achieved the feat in 1962.
Messi’s historic run comes amid deep personal emotions. After his opening game exploits against Algeria, the talismanic forward was visibly tearful, a reaction later linked to his father’s ongoing recovery from an undisclosed medical condition.
Despite dealing with family concerns and navigating a hamstring niggle during the pre-tournament build-up, Messi’s leadership continues to galvanize the reigning world champions. Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister highlighted this impact, noting that the captain remains the undeniable heartbeat of the squad.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain maestro had delayed confirming his participation in the North American tournament until late in the qualification cycle.
However, the opportunity to anchor Argentina’s title defense ultimately proved too strong to resist.
A victory over Austria secures Argentina’s passage to the knockout phases, with a top-spot finish in Group J guaranteed if Jordan drops points against Algeria later in the day. Behind Messi on the all-time tournament scoring charts are Klose with 16 goals, Brazilian legend Ronaldo with 15, and German icon Gerd Müller alongside French star Kylian Mbappé, who both sit on 14 goals.