Argentina advanced to the finals, and Messi scored two goals, becoming the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Men’s World Cup.
Published June 22, 2026
Lionel Messi became World Cup’s all-time top scorer as his captain’s two goals led Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Austria and sent the champions into the last 32.
The player widely regarded as the greatest player of all time pounced on Monday against Texas with a goal with his trademark left foot after some clever build-up play late in the first half.
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The predatory goal added to Argentina’s opening hat-trick and was his 17th at the World Cup.
The 38-year-old sealed the match late in second-half stoppage time after a scramble in the box, outsmarting four defenders lined up to block the ball.
It could have been even better for Messi, who surprised the 70,649-strong Argentina crowd by missing a penalty early in the game in the air-conditioned home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Both sides knew that a win would take them to the finals with one game to spare, when Lautaro Martínez was pinned down by two Austrian players in the box.
After VAR intervention, referee Amin Mohamed awarded a penalty and a wall of sound rose as Messi came forward in the ninth minute.
However, his run-up was slow and he missed the frame, falling far outside the frame.
For all his talent, Messi, who turns 39 on Wednesday, is surprisingly poor by his standards from the penalty spot.
Also, in the 2022 World Cup against Poland, Argentina won the championship after Wojciech Szczesny saved a spot kick, but they failed to participate in the 2018 tournament.
In the 19th minute, Messi had a clear sniff of goal, but Austrian captain David Alaba snatched the ball off his toes at the last moment and danced his way across the front of goal.
Alaba stopped Messi’s shot again just after the half-hour mark, with goalkeeper Alexander Schlager stuck and blocking a shot on goal.
Austria, led by Ralf Rangnick, defeated debutant Jordan 3-1 in the opening game, but were complacent. In the first half, they couldn’t take a single shot on target.
messi makes history
Then came the biggest moment. Messi burst into goal in the 38th minute after a set-up by Facundo Medina, and Thiago Almada deftly threaded the ball through his legs to single-handedly unleash the Argentine talisman, leaving the goal wide open.
The Argentine fans, who greatly outnumbered the Austrian fans, rose to their feet and applauded their country’s hero.
Messi scored a hat-trick in the Holders’ opening game against Algeria, equaling Miroslav Klose’s total of 16 World Cup goals.
Lionel Scaloni’s side were unable to extend their lead, and the second half ended without either team producing any significant points.
If anything, Austria’s threat was a bit bigger, but only once did Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez find himself in serious trouble.
Then Messi appeared to give his last words before dying.
Julian Alvarez’s first shot was saved by Schlager, but the rebound went to Messi. Messi saw his first shot blocked, then jumped out and smashed in a low shot from six yards out to seal the score.
Messi told Telemundo that he is “enjoying the moment” and seeing how far the team can go.“I’m really happy with this win, especially since it’s a very important win and came after a tough fight, but it gives me peace of mind for what’s to come,” he said.
“This is the World Cup. It was a very competitive, very competitive game. I’m happy to have gotten six points and already qualified.”
