Messi goal breaks all-time World Cup record during Argentina vs. Austria
USA Today • • general
Key Points:
- Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in men's World Cup history by scoring his 17th goal during Argentina's match against Austria on June 22, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose's previous record of 16 goals.
- Messi had entered the 2026 World Cup with 13 career goals and quickly rose to 16 after a hat trick against Algeria in Argentina's opening game.
- Despite missing a penalty early in the match against Austria, Messi still managed to break the record later in the game.
- Messi now shares the overall World Cup scoring record with Brazil's Marta, who has 17 goals across six Women's World Cup tournaments.
- France's Kylian Mbappe, with 14 World Cup goals at age 27, is a rising contender to challenge Messi's record in future tournaments.
