The 38-year-old Lionel Messi entered the match level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose and Brazil legend Marta.
The Argentine finished the night alone at the summit with 18 World Cup goals across his career.
LIONEL MESSI RESPONDS AFTER PENALTY MISS
The evening did not begin perfectly for the Argentina captain. In the ninth minute, the world champions were awarded a penalty after a handball inside the Austrian area, only for Messi to drag his effort wide of the post.
The setback proved only temporary. In the 38th minute, Alexis Mac Allister slipped a clever pass into the box and Lionel Messi produced a trademark first-time finish into the bottom corner to hand Argentina the lead and move onto 17 FIFA World Cup goals.
The strike saw him surpass Klose and become the outright leading scorer in the men’s tournament.
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RECORD SEALED IN STOPPAGE TIME
Austria remained competitive throughout the second half, but Lionel Messi had the final word.
Deep into stoppage time, the Argentine icon sparked a counterattack before Julián Álvarez’s effort was saved by the goalkeeper. The loose ball fell kindly to Messi, who smashed home the rebound to complete his brace and seal a 2-0 victory.
The goal carried even greater significance, taking his tally to 18 and moving him ahead of Miroslav Klose to become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history across the men’s competitions.
All-time FIFA World Cup goals:
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 18
- Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16
- Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) – 15
- Kylian Mbappé (France) – 14
For Lionel Messi, another record has fallen. For the rest of the football world, the debate over the greatest player of all time continues to tilt further in the Argentine’s favour.
Coming up next for La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue) is the final match of Group J against Jordan on Sunday 28 June in Dallas at 04:00.
