Messi breaks World Cup scoring record with 2 goals vs Austria
The Argentina forward now has 18 goals in 28 matches, passing Miroslav Klose's 16-goal mark.
Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history after scoring two goals in Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria in a group-stage match on Monday night local time. The brace lifted the Argentina captain to 18 goals in 28 matches in the tournament. FIFA figures cited by Antara put Messi ahead of Miroslav Klose of Germany, who previously held the record with 16 goals in 24 matches. The mark caps Messi's long World Cup journey since his debut at the 2006 edition in Germany. He finished scoreless in 2010, then scored four goals in 2014, one in 2018, seven when Argentina won the title in 2022, and has already scored five goals in the 2026 edition.