Lionel Messi became the leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history as Argentina secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Austria in their Group J clash on Monday, with the legendary captain once again proving decisive for the defending champions.
The 39-year-old etched his name even deeper into football folklore by scoring twice, taking his World Cup tally to 18 goals, surpassing the previous record held by German great Miroslav Klose.
Messi had already drawn level with Klose’s long-standing mark of 16 goals after scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 opening victory over Algeria. Against Austria, he moved clear at the top of the all-time scoring charts with another masterclass performance.
The Argentine skipper thought he had broken the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 38th minute, only for a VAR review to intervene and deny him. However, the disappointment lasted barely moments.
Just two minutes later, defender Facundo Medina delivered a precise pass into the area and Messi made no mistake, calmly finishing to give Argentina a deserved 1-0 lead and write another chapter in his remarkable career.
Austria attempted to respond but struggled to break down an organised Argentine defence. Their frustrations were compounded when Stefan Posch was booked shortly before half-time as the South Americans maintained control of proceedings.
Argentina continued to dictate possession after the interval, although Austria remained in contention until late in the match. Medina, who had assisted the opener, was shown a yellow card in the 76th minute, while Austria’s Konrad Laimer also entered the referee’s notebook.
With Austria pushing forward in search of an equaliser, Argentina struck a decisive blow deep into stoppage time. After Leandro Paredes was cautioned in the second minute of added time, Messi sealed the victory three minutes later with a clinical finish to make it 2-0 and cap another historic night.
The result strengthens Argentina’s position at the top of Group J and moves the reigning world champions closer to the knockout stages, while Austria face an uphill task to keep their qualification hopes alive.
For Messi, however, the evening belonged to history. Already regarded as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, the Argentine icon now stands alone as the most prolific scorer in World Cup history, adding yet another extraordinary achievement to a glittering career that continues to defy time.
