Lionel Messi Shatters World Cup Records with Brace Against Austria

Messi's Historic Performance Leads Argentina to Knockout Stage

In Texas on June 22, Lionel Messi celebrated a remarkable achievement after netting two goals, guiding Argentina to a 2-0 win over Austria in their Group J match of the FIFA World Cup 2026. This victory secured Argentina's advancement to the knockout phase.

With this brace, Messi not only clinched the win for his team but also made history by becoming the all-time leading scorer in men's FIFA World Cup history, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose just before his 39th birthday. He opened the scoring in the 38th minute, moving past Klose's record of 16 goals, and added another in stoppage time, bringing his total to 18 goals.

After the match, Messi expressed his joy over the win, describing it as a challenging and hard-fought battle. He noted that this victory boosts Argentina's confidence for the upcoming matches in the tournament.

Reflecting on his record, Messi remarked, "I am very happy for the win above all. It was a very important, very tough, and hard-fought victory. It gives us peace of mind for what is to come. This is the World Cup; all games are very equal and very intense."

Interestingly, Messi had a rocky start, missing a penalty in the sixth minute after a VAR-awarded spot kick. However, he felt that this miss did not impact the match's outcome, stating, "Today I had the penalty that I could have increased the score with, but if I had made the penalty, perhaps I wouldn’t have reached the other two either."

Earlier in the tournament, Messi had already made headlines by scoring a hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria in their opening match.

He emphasized that Argentina aimed for two wins but anticipated tough matches. While Austria did not pose significant threats, Messi acknowledged the need for quick play at times. He reiterated that qualification was the primary goal and that Argentina is prepared to face any opponent.

Messi has now become the second player in men's FIFA World Cup history to score four or more goals in three different tournaments (2014, 2022, and 2026), a feat previously achieved only by Klose.

Additionally, his two goals against Austria placed him at the top of the scoring charts in the current World Cup, with five goals in just two matches, following his hat-trick against Algeria.

During the match, despite a challenging start, Messi broke the deadlock in the 38th minute, finishing calmly after a clever dummy from Thiago Almada. Although Austria pressed hard in the first half, Argentina managed the game effectively with tactical substitutions from coach Lionel Scaloni.

As Austria pushed for an equalizer, Messi led a counter-attack, scoring again in stoppage time to finalize the 2-0 victory and complete his brace. The 38-year-old has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches, equaling the record held by Just Fontaine and Jairzinho.