Lionel Messi Becomes All-Time Leading World Cup Goalscorer With Brace Against Austria

Lionel Messi has become the all-time leading goalscorer in the history of the World Cup, scoring a brace in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday to move his World Cup tally to 18 goals. The two goals finally pulled him ahead of Germany’s Miroslav Klose, whose record of 16 goals the Argentinian had equalled with a hat trick in his first match of the 2026 World Cup against Algeria. 

The only player who can remotely threaten Messi’s achievement is Kylian Mbappé, who has 14 World Cup goals. Other names on the record list are retired or late, with Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazario scoring 15 goals at the World Cup, followed by Germany’s Gerd Müller with 14, and the late great Pelé and France’s Fontaine next on the list. 

Messi is playing in his sixth World Cup, a record appearance he shares with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa. The Argentinian captain has now scored in every World Cup he has played in since 2006.

The record-breaking achievement adds to Messi’s already legendary career, which includes winning the World Cup in 2022 and eight Ballon d’Or awards. Messi’s record is unlikely to be broken anytime soon, though Mbappé, at 27, has time to catch up if he continues his prolific scoring at World Cups. 

For now, the Argentinian legend stands alone at the top of the list. The goal in stoppage time was particularly meaningful as it secured Argentina’s qualification to the knockout stages. Messi will now look to lead Argentina to another World Cup title as they progress through the tournament.

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