Dallas: Argentina captain Lionel Messi has cemented his legendary status by becoming the greatest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, netting a spectacular double to guide the defending champions to a 2-0 victory over Austria at Dallas Stadium. The breathtaking performance propelled Messi to 18 tournament goals, comfortably eclipsing the previous men’s record of 16 held by German striker Miroslav Klose and the overall tournament record of 17 held by Brazilian icon Marta.
The historic evening in Texas began with rare frustration for the talismanic forward when he pulled a ninth-minute penalty kick just wide of the post. However, the international veteran quickly made amends in the 38th minute by capitalizing on a sharp pass from Facundo Medina, which was cleverly dummied by Thiago Almada, allowing Messi to stroke a first-time finish into the bottom-left corner. The landmark strike marked the sixth consecutive World Cup match in which Messi has scored, matching an elite milestone shared only by Just Fontaine and Jairzinho.
Austria provided a highly physical test for the reigning champions, deploying an aggressive pressing game that routinely tested the South American backline. Despite the pressure, Argentina remained resolute and sealed the triumph deep into stoppage time when Messi pounced on a loose rebound in the 95th minute to blast home his second goal of the night. The victory lifts Argentina to six points in Group J, comfortably securing their advancement into the knockout Round of 32 with a game to spare.
Beyond rewriting the scoring charts, the match marked Messi’s record-extending 28th appearance in the global showpiece, occurring just two days prior to his 39th birthday. The historic achievement drew immense praise from both managers, with Austrian coach Ralf Rangnick acknowledging that Messi proved he remains on a level entirely of his own. Following a stellar opening week that included a clinical hat-trick against Algeria, the iconic forward now leads the tournament golden boot race with five goals in just two matches.
