Lionel Messi wrote himself further into football history at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, scoring twice to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, surpassing both Miroslav Klose’s men’s record and Marta’s overall mark, as Argentina beat Austria 2-0 in their Group J clash on 22 June to seal their place in the knockout stage.
The occasion carried extra weight, falling on the 40th anniversary of Diego Maradona’s famous goals against England, the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century, at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico City. It was a fitting backdrop for the man who has long since stepped out of Maradona’s shadow to become Argentina’s greatest footballer and, many would argue, the greatest of all time.
Messi’s first arrived in the 38th minute in remarkable circumstances. Having missed a penalty in the ninth minute, when VAR overturned the on-field decision and the 38-year-old sent his spot kick wide for his third World Cup penalty miss and the most by any player in tournament history, he refused to let the moment derail him. Facundo Medina played a crisp pull-back from the left, Thiago Almada let it run through his legs with a sublime dummy, and Messi swept home first time to leave goalkeeper Alexander Schlager wrong-footed. It was his 17th World Cup goal, breaking Klose’s men’s record outright. Fans wept in the stands as Messi and his teammates huddled in celebration.
The story behind the record is as rich as the man himself. After retiring from international football in 2016 following Argentina’s penalty shootout loss to Chile in the Copa America final, Messi returned months later with one goal in mind: winning the World Cup and following in Maradona’s footsteps. In 2022, that dream became reality. Now, four years on, he is rewriting the sport’s record books at the age of 38 years and 363 days.
Argentina largely controlled the match, playing incisive combinations through the middle, with Enzo Fernandez, Almada and Messi linking well. Austria grew into the contest and caused problems on the counter, with Marcel Sabitzer orchestrating their best moments, though Emiliano Martinez produced a fine diving save from Sabitzer’s free kick in the 55th minute to preserve the lead. The Austrians introduced Marko Arnautovic, Marco Friedl and Konrad Laimer after the hour mark as they pushed for an equaliser, but Argentina’s defensive foundation held firm, with the centre back partnership of Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero, the latter replaced by Nicolas Otamendi after picking up a knock, continuing the form that has seen Argentina concede only once in their last nine matches.
Messi then broke Marta’s overall World Cup record in stoppage time, converting from close range after Julian Alvarez’s effort was saved back into his path by Schlager, with Fernandez teeing up the finish. It was his 18th World Cup goal, 14 scored with his stronger left foot and four with his right, with five of the 18 coming from outside the box. His goals have come against 13 different nations, with Austria the latest to join the list.
The result means Argentina have won all six of their World Cup group stage matches under Scaloni, with the reigning champions heading into the round of 32 as Group J winners. They will face the Group H runner-up in Miami on 3 July, with Spain, Uruguay, Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia still fighting for position in that section. Austria remain in second place and will face Algeria in their final group game.
