Lionel Messi added yet another chapter to his remarkable World Cup legacy, scoring twice as defending champions Argentina defeated Austria 2-0 in a Group J clash at the FIFA World Cup 2026, securing their place in the knockout stage.
The Argentine captain produced a record-breaking performance at the Dallas Stadium, netting his 17th and 18th FIFA World Cup goals to become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. Just two days before his 39th birthday, Messi overcame an early penalty miss to inspire Argentina to their second consecutive victory of the campaign.
Messi opened the scoring in the 38th minute after a brilliant one-two combination with Thiago Almada. Receiving Almada’s return pass inside the box, the veteran forward calmly beat Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager to hand Argentina a deserved lead.
The goal saw Messi surpass Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who previously held the World Cup scoring record with 16 goals. The Argentine now leads the all-time charts with 18 goals, ahead of Klose (16), Brazil’s Ronaldo (15), and France’s Kylian Mbappé and Germany’s Gerd Müller (14 each).
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also joined France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho as only the third player to score in six consecutive World Cup matches.
Messi put the result beyond doubt deep into stoppage time, capitalising on a defensive lapse to score in the fifth minute of added time and seal a memorable victory for the reigning world champions. The brace also took his tally for the 2026 tournament to five goals.
With six points from two matches, Argentina have booked their place in the Round of 32. They will also be confirmed as Group J winners if Jordan fails to defeat Algeria later on Monday.
Argentina dominated the early exchanges and had a golden opportunity to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty, but Messi’s effort was saved. The miss briefly shifted momentum in Austria’s favour, with the Europeans pressing aggressively and disrupting Argentina’s rhythm for much of the first half.
Despite Austria’s spell of control, they struggled to create clear-cut chances. Argentina gradually regained the initiative through Messi’s influence in midfield, and their persistence paid off when the captain combined brilliantly with Almada to break the deadlock before halftime.
Leading 1-0 at the interval, Argentina managed the game effectively in the second half while continuing to threaten on the counterattack. Austria pushed for an equaliser but were unable to breach the Argentine defence, before Messi’s late strike ensured a comfortable and historic victory.