Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history on Friday night, helping Argentina beat Austria 2-0 in a match from the 2026 World Cup. The Argentina captain entered needing one goal to break the record and finished with two, taking his total to 18. The opening goal came in the 37th minute, after a strong team move left him alone in front of the goalkeeper, and he also added a second later from a scramble in the box.
Messi said afterward that the record mattered less than the result. “I’m tired of all these record breaks,” he joked. “I’m happy about the win above all. It was critical and very important for us, it gives us calm and a lot of confidence for what comes next. We knew it would not be easy, but we wanted to secure qualification for the next stage. All the World Cup matches are very tight, the intensity is very high, it is not easy. I am mostly enjoying the moment, it is fun to celebrate with the rest of the national team players.”
The previous record-holder, Miroslav Klose, also reacted and joked, “I always said that Lionel Messi is not bad.” The German said he understood his mark would eventually be broken and that it was an honor for Messi to do it.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Kylian Mbappe scored twice against Iraq to reach 16 World Cup goals, just two behind Messi and level with Klose had Messi not moved ahead. Erling Haaland also scored twice in his next match, giving him four goals in two games and putting him in the race for the tournament scoring lead. Argentina, France, and Norway have all secured passage to the next round, giving Messi, Mbappe, and Haaland at least two more matches each to add to their totals.
