Lionel Messi became the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history on Monday during Argentina's match against Austria [1].
This milestone cements Messi's legacy as the most prolific scorer in the tournament's history, surpassing a long-standing record held by Germany's Miroslav Klose [4].
The record-breaking performance took place in Arlington, Texas, where Messi scored his 17th and 18th career World Cup goals [2, 3]. The goals ensured that the Argentina captain moved past the previous benchmark of 16 goals established by Klose [4].
Messi's path to the record began earlier this month on June 16, 2026, during a match against Algeria [5]. In that game, Messi scored a hat-trick of three goals [0], which brought his total World Cup tally to 16 [4]. At that time, an AOL Sports writer said, "Messi's hat‑trick ensured he is now level with Germany's Miroslav Klose for most individual goals" [3].
The momentum continued into the match against Austria on June 22. Following the two additional goals, a CBC Sports correspondent said, "Lionel Messi set a World Cup record with his 17th and 18th goals" [2].
While some early reports indicated Messi had only tied the record at 16 goals, later updates from the match in the U.S. confirmed he had surpassed it [1, 2]. A Yahoo Sports sports editor said, "Messi has become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history" [1].
“Messi has become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history.”
Messi's ascension to the top of the all-time scoring list reflects his sustained dominance across multiple World Cup cycles. By surpassing Miroslav Klose's 16-goal mark, Messi has transitioned from chasing historical benchmarks to setting them, providing Argentina with significant offensive momentum as the 2026 tournament progresses.
