Messi Claims Sole Possession of World Cup Scoring Record
Lionel Messi became the outright top scorer in World Cup history on Monday, netting both goals in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria in Arlington, Texas. The 39-year-old captain now has 18 World Cup goals, surpassing the previous record of 16 held by Germany's Miroslav Klose.
Messi's first goal came in the 38th minute, just two days before his 39th birthday, after missing a penalty kick in the ninth minute. He added his second in stoppage time, firing through several defenders after his initial shot was saved by goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. The performance extended his scoring streak to six consecutive World Cup matches, matching Just Fontaine and Jairzinho.
Record-Breaking Performance Amid Personal Challenges
Messi's achievement came despite personal concerns about his ailing father, Jorge Messi, who is undergoing medical treatment for an undisclosed illness. The forward expressed relief after the match: “Beyond anything I’m so happy for the win. It was huge, tough and difficult. It would allow us to be relaxed to what’s ahead.”
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni praised his star player: “I have no more words to talk about Leo.” Austria coach Ralf Rangnick added: “Someone who is 39 years old and can score two goals, and five goals overall at the beginning of the World Cup, well, that makes a difference. We knew that he is on a level of his own, and Lionel Messi showed us today that he’s one of the best, and he is the best.”
Record-Breaker in Sixth World Cup
Messi's record-breaking moment came in his 28th World Cup match, a FIFA record. Klose, who played 24 matches across four tournaments, had predicted the feat in a June 12 interview: “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.”
Messi's hat trick against Algeria in the previous group match tied Klose's record, and he now has five goals in the tournament. Argentina advanced to the knockout round with two wins in Group J, having also beaten Algeria 3-0.
Penalty Miss and Redemption
Messi missed a penalty in the ninth minute, sending his left-footed attempt wide of the right post. He is now 4 of 7 on World Cup penalty kicks in regulation, with misses in three consecutive tournaments. The penalty was awarded after Lautaro Martinez was tackled by Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch, with play continuing for over a minute before a video review.
Despite the early frustration, Messi redeemed himself: “There were moments when I was really angry about missing the penalty, but I was able to make up for it.” His first goal came from a clever pass by Thiago Almada, who let Facundo Medina's ball run through to Messi's left foot from about 20 yards.
The sold-out crowd of 70,649 at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium erupted as Messi celebrated his record 17th goal by thrusting his right arm into the air. He added his 18th in stoppage time, securing a 2-0 win that keeps Argentina's campaign on track.
