Lionel Messi Sets New FIFA World Cup Goal Record
Messi Achieves Historic Milestone
Texas [US], June 22: Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina, has reached a remarkable milestone by becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history. He broke the previous record held by German icon Miroslav Klose during Argentina's second match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Austria on June 22.
With his goal in the match against Austria, Messi's World Cup goal tally has now reached 17, establishing a new benchmark in the tournament's history. The football legend has also claimed an impressive 8 Ballon d'Or awards and 4 FIFA Best Men's Player accolades, in addition to winning the UEFA Best Player award three times.
In the match, Messi opened the scoring for Argentina in the 38th minute. Thiago Almada delivered a pass to Medina on the left flank, who then set up Messi at the edge of the penalty area. The Argentine star executed a precise low shot into the bottom-left corner, beating goalkeeper Alexander Schlager to make it 1-0.
At 38 years old, Messi has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches, equaling the record for the most consecutive World Cup games with a goal, a feat previously achieved by Just Fontaine of France and Jairzinho of Brazil.
Messi's performance in this match followed a record-setting display in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria in their opening game, further solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
During that match, Messi not only scored his first World Cup hat-trick but also marked his 200th senior appearance for Argentina, leading the defending champions to a strong start in the tournament.
At 38 years and 357 days, he became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick, surpassing the previous record held by Cristiano Ronaldo from the 2018 tournament.
Messi also holds the records for the most World Cup appearances (28) and the most Man of the Match awards (12). He is the first player in history to participate in six consecutive World Cups, a record later matched by Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo during a match against DR Congo.