Lionel Messi scored twice in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 18 goals.
Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after the match, Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas, US, on Jun 22, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Hannah Mckay)
23 Jun 2026 03:12AM
(Updated: 25 Jun 2026 05:45PM)
ARLINGTON, Texas: Lionel Messi rewrote the World Cup record books on Monday (Jun 22), becoming the tournament's all-time leading scorer with both goals in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria that secured the holders' passage to the last 32.Messi took his World Cup tally to 18 goals when he netted in the 38th and 95th minutes, despite an earlier stumble from the penalty spot, as Argentina secured their second win to move on to six points in Group J.His first strike took him past Germany's Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in men's World Cup history and his second ensured he moved beyond Marta's 17 goals in the women's tournament, which had stood as the overall record.
