Lionel Messi has surpassed Miroslav Klose’s long-standing World Cup records for goals and victories after scoring a decisive brace in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria in Dallas on June 22.
The result secured Argentina’s qualification for the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup and marked another historic moment in Messi’s international career. The Argentine captain’s performance moved him to the top of the tournament’s all-time scoring chart and gave him the highest number of World Cup victories recorded by a player.
Messi reached 18 goals and 18 victories in World Cup history, breaking the previous records held by German striker Miroslav Klose. Klose finished his World Cup career with 16 goals across six editions of the tournament, while Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazário scored 15 goals in four World Cup appearances.
The milestone goal came in the 38th minute of the first half after defender Facundo Medina advanced down the left side and delivered a pass into the penalty area. Messi controlled the ball and quickly struck past Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager to put Argentina ahead.
The achievement also placed Messi among the oldest players to score in World Cup history. At 38 years and 363 days old, he became the third-oldest player to score in the tournament, behind Portugal defender Pepe, who scored at 39 years old, and Cameroon striker Roger Milla, who found the net at 42.
The Argentine forward reached the record during his 27th World Cup appearance, spanning six editions of the competition. His tournament journey began at Germany 2006, where he scored against Serbia and Montenegro during the group stage. He did not score during South Africa 2010 but returned to the scoresheet in later tournaments.
At Brazil 2014, Messi scored four goals during the group stage, including goals against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iran, as well as a double against Nigeria. During Russia 2018, he added another goal against Nigeria in the group stage.
His most productive World Cup campaign came at Qatar 2022, where Messi scored seven goals and helped Argentina win the tournament title. During that edition, he scored against Saudi Arabia and Mexico in the group stage before adding goals in the knockout rounds against Australia, the Netherlands and Croatia.
In the final against France, Messi scored twice as Argentina secured the championship. His performance throughout the tournament made him a central figure in Argentina’s successful campaign.
At the ongoing 2026 World Cup, hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada, Messi added another goal against Austria after scoring three times against Algeria in the group stage. The latest strike further extended his record total and strengthened his position at the top of World Cup scoring statistics.
Messi’s latest achievement marks a new chapter in World Cup history, as he moves ahead of previous record holders and sets new benchmarks for goals and victories in the international tournament.
