Lionel Messi set a new World Cup scoring record on Monday, netting his 17th and 18th career goals as defending champion Argentina secured a 2-0 victory over Austria in Arlington, Texas. The win ensured Argentina’s progression to the knockout stage of the tournament.
Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in soccer history, had an early chance to break the record in the ninth minute but missed a penalty, shooting wide to the right. He later made up for it in the 38th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error after Thiago Almada allowed a pass from Facundo Medina to slip through, enabling Messi to score from around 20 yards. He added a late goal during injury time, sending a shot past several defenders after his first attempt was saved by Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. The brace brought Messi’s total World Cup goals to 18, surpassing Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who scored 16 goals across four tournaments from 2002 to 2014.
“I was really angry about missing the penalty, but I was able to make up for it,” Messi said following the match. “Beyond anything, I’m so happy for the win… All matches in this World Cup are very even, very intense. I’m enjoying this moment and craving to enjoy it with my teammates.”
The victory marked Argentina’s eighth consecutive win in World Cup matches since their unexpected loss to Saudi Arabia in their opening game of the 2022 tournament. Messi, who has now scored all five of Argentina’s goals in the current competition, is poised to turn 39 later this week and has scored 12 World Cup goals since his 35th birthday. His record feat coincides with his participation in his sixth World Cup, a milestone he shares with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi’s recent scoring streak includes goals in six consecutive World Cup matches, placing him alongside France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho as the only players to achieve this feat. He also stands second in men’s international goals with 122, behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s 143.
Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni praised Messi’s performance, and Austria’s coach Ralf Rangnick acknowledged Messi’s exceptional talent, calling him “one of the best, and he is the best.”
Elsewhere at the tournament, France advanced to the knockout stage after a 3-0 win over Iraq in Philadelphia, a match interrupted by a nearly two-hour rain delay. Kylian Mbappé scored twice, moving level with Klose at 16 World Cup goals. France had previously defeated Senegal 3-1, with Mbappé contributing two goals and Erling Haaland scoring twice for Norway in a 3-2 victory over Senegal.
In the United States camp, Christian Pulisic returned to training after missing the U.S. team’s last match due to a calf injury. The U.S. concludes group play on Thursday against Turkey, a fixture that will determine their positioning for the knockout rounds.
Argentina will face Jordan on Saturday in their final group match at AT&T Stadium, seeking to secure top spot in Group J. Austria remains in contention to advance if they can overcome Algeria in the other group match.