Messi becomes the World Cup's all-time top scorer

Lionel Messi made history on June 22, 2026, at the 2026 World Cup by scoring his 17th tournament goal and overtaking Germany's Miroslav Klose as the competition's all-time leading scorer. The Argentine star had missed a penalty in the ninth minute, but 29 minutes later he scored the goal that set the new record.

The report said the strike engraved Messi's name in gold in world football history, and not for the first time. Reactions in the media were immediate and overwhelmingly admiring.

Former England defender Danny Murphy called it “a brilliant goal” and “a great move,” adding, “It was only a matter of time.” He said the finish was easy for Messi, and that the only surprise was he had not scored earlier. Murphy also said Messi's football intelligence is “off the scale,” that he “just finds spaces,” and that his timing is excellent. “This is the best player I have ever seen,” he said.

English outlets wrote that it was one of those moments when viewers stop in disbelief, saying they knew it would happen and were still shocked. They said Messi “always finds a way” and “cannot be stopped,” while Ole described it as a historic moment.