Lionel Messi has once again etched his name into football history after becoming the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history.
The Argentina captain reached the remarkable milestone during his side’s Group J clash against Austria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scoring twice to take his overall World Cup tally to 18 goals.
Messi opened his account in the 38th minute after recovering from an earlier penalty miss before adding another goal deep into stoppage time. The brace saw him move past former Germany striker Miroslav Klose, who previously held the record with 16 goals.
The achievement adds another historic chapter to Messi’s legendary career, further cementing his place among football’s greatest-ever players.
His latest goal also made him only the third player in World Cup history to score in six successive tournament appearances. He joins France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho in achieving the rare feat.
Messi now sits alone at the top of the World Cup scoring chart with 18 goals. Klose follows with 16, while Brazilian legend Ronaldo remains third with 15 goals. Germany great Gerd Müller completes the top four with 14 goals.
The 38-year-old has represented Argentina at six World Cups, featuring in the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 editions.
Beyond the individual milestone, Messi’s brace also helped Argentina secure qualification to the knockout stage as the defending champions continue their quest for another World Cup triumph.
For a player who has already won almost everything football has to offer, the record-breaking performance serves as yet another reminder of his enduring greatness on the world stage.
