Lionel Messi now owns the most prolific scoring record in World Cup history. The Argentine forward netted twice during a 2-0 win over Austria on June 22 in Arlington, Texas, pushing his career tournament tally to 18 goals and surpassing Miroslav Klose’s long-standing mark of 16.
The goals and the record
Messi’s first goal came in the 38th or 39th minute, and his second arrived deep in stoppage time. Klose’s previous record of 16 goals was accumulated across four separate World Cups. Messi has now eclipsed it across six tournaments, a span stretching back to his teenage debut in Germany 2006.
The brace also means Messi has scored in six consecutive World Cup matches dating back to the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where Argentina lifted the trophy.
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