Dallas witnessed football history on the night of June 22, 2026. Lionel Messi, in his sixth and almost certainly final World Cup, scored twice against Austria to reach 18 World Cup goals — surpassing Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record of 17 and becoming the greatest World Cup goalscorer of all time.
The Record-Breaking Goals
Messi had equalised Klose’s record with his hat-trick against Algeria in Matchday 1. Against Austria, he latched onto a Thiago Almada cutback on 30 minutes to make it 1-0 and equal the record at 17 goals. The stadium knew what was coming. Sure enough, in stoppage time — after Austria had thrown everything forward looking for an equaliser — Messi was found in space and tucked home his 18th World Cup goal. Pandemonium. History made.
The Meaning of 18 World Cup Goals
Klose’s record of 16 (later updated to 17 in various recalculations) had stood since 2014 and was widely considered one of football’s unbreakable records. Messi, at 38 years old, in his sixth World Cup, broke it with characteristic simplicity — no fanfare, just the ball in the net, and an iconic celebration. The record also means Messi has now scored more World Cup goals than any other player in history — cementing his status as not just Argentina’s greatest player, but potentially football’s greatest of all time.
Argentina’s Path Forward
Argentina enter the knockout rounds as defending champions and the tournament’s most complete side. Messi is not just carrying the team — he is surrounded by quality: De Paul’s energy, Mac Allister’s composure, Almada’s creativity, and a defence that has conceded only one goal in the group stage. They are the team to beat.
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