ARLINGTON, Texas — For decades, Lionel Messi has built his legacy on turning milestones into routine, and on Monday at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at AT&T Stadium, the Argentina captain added another unprecedented entry to his already historic career. Widely regarded as the greatest men’s soccer player to ever step onto the pitch, Messi notched two goals against Austria to lift defending champion Argentina to a 2-0 group stage victory, pushing his all-time World Cup goal total to a new record of 18. The performance also locked Argentina’s spot in the tournament’s knockout round, following two opening group wins that have put the South American side in a strong position heading into the knockout stage.
The historic evening came with its share of early drama: Messi had a golden chance to break the record in the ninth minute, but sent his penalty kick wide of the right post after a foul on Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez inside the box. Visibly frustrated by the miss in the moment, Messi said after the match he channeled that disappointment into pushing forward to find the back of the net. “There were moments when I was really angry about missing the penalty, but I was able to make up for it,” the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner told reporters, reflecting on the match.
Messi’s first record-breaking goal arrived in the 38th minute, just two days ahead of his 39th birthday and amid personal concern over his father Jorge’s ongoing undisclosed medical treatment back home in Argentina. Facundo Medina threaded a pass through the Austrian defense that Thiago Almada let run through to Messi, who hit a 20-yard left-footed shot that caught Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager leaning the wrong direction. As the ball rippled into the net, the 35-year-old ran to the corner flag, thrust his right arm into the air, and celebrated in front of a sold-out crowd of 70,649 fans, most of whom were cheering loudly for Argentina.
He added his second of the match and 18th overall World Cup goal in stoppage time, pouncing on a rebound after Schlager saved his first attempt and firing through a crowd of Austrian defenders to seal the 2-0 win. The brace marked the sixth consecutive World Cup match in which Messi has found the back of the net, an achievement only matched by two other greats in tournament history: France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho.
Messi’s path to the record began last Tuesday in Kansas City, when he scored his first career World Cup hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 opening group win over Algeria. That performance pulled him level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose, who held the previous record of 16 goals scored across 24 World Cup matches between 2002 and 2014, when Klose’s Germany beat Messi’s Argentina in the World Cup final. In an interview published in June, Klose said he fully expected Messi to break his record, and even welcomed the achievement. “I expect my record to fall in this tournament,” Klose told German outlet *Sueddeutsche Zeitung*. “With the larger field of competing teams there are more games and so more chances to score goals. And I assume Argentina and France will go far. That’s perfectly OK, the record will be broken eventually anyhow and Messi is welcome to be the one who does it. I’m a big fan of Messi, always have been. Messi is a genius.”
Monday’s match marked Messi’s 28th World Cup appearance, extending his own record for the most matches played in men’s World Cup history. It also came 20 years to the day after his World Cup debut in Germany, where he scored his first ever World Cup goal, and marked his 200th senior appearance for the Argentina men’s national team. Beyond the record books, Messi emphasized after the match that the team’s result was the most important outcome of the night, particularly as it secures Argentina’s place in the knockout round and removes pressure from their final group match. “Beyond anything I’m so happy for the win,” Messi said. “It was huge, tough and difficult. It would allow us to be relaxed to what’s ahead. All matches in this World Cup are very even, very intense. I’m enjoying this moment and craving to enjoy with my teammates.”
The personal context around the historic night has added extra weight to Messi’s achievement: last week, Messi’s family confirmed that 68-year-old Jorge Messi, who has served as his son’s agent and been a foundational figure in Lionel’s career from childhood through his professional success, is undergoing medical treatment for an undisclosed health issue. After scoring his hat trick against Algeria, Messi was openly emotional after the match, revealing that his tears came after a run of difficult non-football-related days. Argentina has now scored five goals through its first two group matches, all of which have come from Messi, as the defending champion heads into the knockout stage of the tournament on a high note.