Lionel Messi etched his name deeper into World Cup history with a brace against Austria, helping defending champions Argentina secure a place in the last 32 while becoming the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer.
The Argentine captain, who turns 39 on Wednesday, scored his 17th and 18th World Cup goals to surpass former Germany striker Miroslav Klose, who held the previous record with 16 goals scored between 2002 and 2014.
Messi opened the scoring in the 38th minute of the Group J clash in Dallas. Facundo Medina’s low cut-back was cleverly allowed to run by Thiago Almada, leaving Messi free to fire a first-time effort into the net from inside the box.
The veteran forward added his second deep into stoppage time, squeezing a shot past two Austrian defenders from a tight angle after goalkeeper Alexander Schlager had denied Julian Alvarez moments earlier.
The record-breaking achievement could have arrived sooner. Argentina were awarded an early penalty after Stefan Posch fouled Lautaro Martinez, with Xaver Schlager also involved in the challenge. However, Messi dragged his spot-kick wide after just eight minutes.
Despite the missed opportunity, Messi quickly made amends and once again demonstrated his enduring quality on a memorable evening.
His latest goals took his tally at the 2026 World Cup to five in just two matches, following the hat-trick he scored in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria in their opening game.
Austria came close to levelling before Messi’s second goal, but goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced a fine save to keep out a powerful free-kick from Marcel Sabitzer, who was making his 100th appearance for his country.
The victory moved Argentina onto six points, joining Mexico, the United States and Germany in the knockout stages. They will also secure top spot in Group J if Jordan fail to defeat Algeria later on Tuesday.
Austria, meanwhile, remain in contention for qualification with three points after previously defeating Jordan in their opening match.
