Messi breaks World Cup scoring record as Argentina beat Austria

Lionel Messi became the FIFA World Cup's all-time leading scorer with a brace against Austria, leading Argentina to a 2-0 victory and securing their place in the knockout stages. The Argentina captain now has 18 World Cup goals, surpassing Miroslav Klose's previous record of 16.

Record-breaking performance

Messi opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a clinical finish into the bottom corner after Thiago Almada's dummy allowed Facundo Medina's pass to reach him in the area. He sealed the win deep into injury time (90+5) with his second goal of the match. The brace also moved Messi to the top of the tournament's Golden Boot standings.

The record-breaking moment came after Messi missed an early penalty, with Austria's David Alaba making decisive blocks to keep the European side in the game. Despite the early setback, Messi's dynamic double proved decisive, sending Lionel Scaloni's defending champions into the Round of 32 from Group J.

Historic context

The drama unfolded on the 40th anniversary of Diego Maradona's famous 'Hand of God' goal against England in 1986. Messi joins France's Just Fontaine (1958) and Brazil's Jairzinho (1970) as the only players to score in six consecutive World Cup matches.

Austria's efforts

Austria's best chance came from a free-kick by Marcel Sabitzer, who was making his 100th international appearance. Nico Gonzalez also came close for Argentina, but the European team struggled to break down the defending champions. Austria's Michael Gregoritsch acknowledged the difficulty: 'We wanted to be tough and play our game. In the end, we lacked clear chances. The goal that made it 2-0 at the end hurts a bit in terms of our goal difference. Now we need to recover and win against Algeria.'

Reactions

Messi expressed satisfaction with the win: 'To be honest, I'm really happy about the win, especially as it's such a crucial victory, hard-fought and well-earned, but one that gives us peace of mind for what lies ahead. This is the World Cup; it was a very evenly matched, very intense match, and we're happy to have picked up six points and to have already qualified.'

Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez praised Messi: 'He is a class above. I don't have the words. It is a great feeling that he is Argentinian. We have to cherish him. We deserved the win today.'

Julian Alvarez added: 'There isn't much to say – we can all see that he [Messi] is the best in the world. I am helping the team as much as I can. We have started with our foot on the accelerator and we have to carry on like this.'