Lionel Messi has officially become the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history, netting his 17th and 18th goals during Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria. This achievement surpasses the previous record held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose.
In the same match, Messi had the opportunity to extend his lead earlier in the first half but missed a penalty kick, a rare miss for the forward. Currently, Messi has scored five goals in the ongoing 2026 World Cup.
Messi’s two goals and the missed penalty contribute to a series of records he has established during the tournament. The following are key milestones achieved by the Argentine captain:
- 18 goals — This new record surpasses Miroslav Klose’s total of 16 goals scored during the 2014 World Cup.
- 3 missed penalties — This marks a negative record for the tournament, as Messi joins Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan as the only players to have missed two penalties in World Cup history.
- 6 consecutive matches with goals — Messi is the first player since the turn of the century to achieve this feat, previously matched only by Just Fontaine (1958) and Jairzinho (1970).
- 26 goal involvements (goals and assists) — Messi leads all players in the current World Cup, surpassing Pele’s previous record of 21.
- 18th victory — He has now become the player with the most wins in World Cup history, overtaking Klose’s record of 17 victories.
- 5 goals in the first two matches — Messi is only the fifth player in history to achieve this, with the last comparable performance by England’s Harry Kane in 2018.
Thanks to Messi’s contributions, Argentina has secured a place in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup. The defending champions will conclude the group stage with a match against Jordan on Sunday, June 28, at 5:00 AM Kyiv time.
Lionel Messi has set a new record for the most goals in World Cup history, scoring 18 times and surpassing Miroslav Klose. His performance has also led Argentina to the knockout stage of the 2026 tournament.