Argentina beat Austria 2-0 thanks to Lionel Messi’s brace on Monday. With the win, the defending champions have now qualified for the knockout stage and look like heavy favorites to win the tournament once again.
For Messi, his two goals now make him the all-time leading goal scorer in World Cup history, overtaking Miroslav Klose’s tally of 16 goals.
Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images
The first goal came in the 38th minute when the Inter Miami forward sprinted into the penalty area, collected a pass from the left and slotted the ball past the keeper to secure his place in the history books.
Messi, who turns 39 years old on June 24, then scored his second deep into stoppage time, sealing the win for Argentina. His tally now stands at 18, two more than Klose.
Messi could have broken the record earlier had he not missed a penalty in the ninth minute after a foul on Lautaro Martínez.
Messi Breaks 3 More World Cup Records vs. Austria
Along with breaking the legendary German striker's record, Messi also surpassed another World Cup milestone, further strengthening the argument of many who consider him the greatest player of all time.
His second goal moved him past Brazil's Marta, who has 17 World Cup goals across six tournaments to her name, giving him more World Cup goals than any player in the men's or women's game.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Messi also set a new high mark for most World Cup matches played by one player (28) and most minutes played in the World Cup (2,489).
Messi and Argentina will now face Jordan in its final group stage match on June 27.
