Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in men’s World Cup history during Argentina’s group-stage match against Austria on Monday [1], [2].
The achievement cements Messi's legacy as the most prolific goal scorer in the history of the tournament, surpassing a long-standing benchmark set by Germany's Miroslav Klose [1], [3].
Messi entered the match trailing the record of 16 goals held by Klose [1]. During the contest, Messi scored his 17th World Cup goal, which officially broke the previous record [1], [4]. He later added an 18th goal in the same match to further extend his lead [1], [5].
The record-breaking performance occurred as part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Argentina faced Austria in a critical group-stage fixture [1], [2]. The match ended in a 2-1 victory for Argentina, fueled by the offensive output of their captain [6].
While some reports focused on the 17th goal as the definitive moment of the record break, others noted the cumulative impact of both goals scored during the game [4], [5]. Regardless of the sequence, Messi now holds the title for the most goals scored by a single player across all men's World Cup tournaments [1].
This milestone follows years of consistent performance across multiple World Cup cycles. Klose had held the mark of 16 goals for several years before Messi's performance on Monday shifted the historical leaderboard [1], [3].
“Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in men’s World Cup history”
Messi's ascent to the top of the World Cup scoring list provides a statistical capstone to his career, transitioning him from a contender for the greatest player of all time to the holder of the tournament's most prestigious scoring record. By surpassing Klose, Messi has shifted the benchmark for future generations of forwards in the world's most watched sporting event.
