Lionel Messi made history in Dallas on June 23, 2026, scoring his 17th World Cup goal in the first half against Austria and breaking Miroslav Klose’s all-time record. The left-footed first-time finish from inside the box found the bottom corner, and Messi celebrated in the same corner where Argentina fans were seated.
Messi sealed Argentina’s win with a second goal, making it 2-0 in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time. The match added to an already historic tournament for him, as he now has five goals in just two World Cup matches this summer, including a hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria. He is currently Argentina’s only scorer in the tournament.
After the final whistle, several Austrian players went over to congratulate Messi, but one interaction stood out. When Austria midfielder Marcel Sabitzer approached him, Messi appeared to gesture with his hands, Sabitzer smiled and replied with a similar motion, and the two then went their separate ways. The exact words were unclear.
BBC presenter Gaby Logan suggested Sabitzer was likely asking for Messi’s shirt, while Messi did not seem eager to give it away because he was still wearing it as he headed to the locker room. The scene also reminded many fans of Messi’s heated exchange with Wout Weghorst after Argentina’s 2022 quarterfinal against the Netherlands, when Messi’s comments in Spanish went viral.
