WASHINGTON, June 23. /TASS/. Argentina’s Lionel Messi is happier about his team advancing to the next stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup than his new goalscoring record at the global championship, the Argentinian Ole daily quoted him as saying.
On June 22, in a group stage match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentina beat Austria 2-0 with Messi netting both goals. The Argentinian striker also failed to convert a penalty kick in the ninth minute, which could have potentially given him a hat trick for the second game in a row.
Messi is now the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, boasting 18 goals after breaking his tie with German forward Miroslav Klose (16 goals).
"I was angry about the penalty shot because I missed and my shot was terrible, but fortunately we managed to turn the tide of the game and take the lead," he told Ole. "It was really exciting. I had a penalty that could have increased the number of goals, but if I had converted it, I probably wouldn't have scored the other two goals. I am happy with the result, as well as the performance and efforts exerted by the team."
"We were well aware that it wasn't going to be easy to win the match, no one gives anything away for nothing, and it was difficult for us to control the ball during protracted attacks," he continued. "It was a tense, hard-fought match and we managed to do it at times, but the most important thing is to get to the next round."
