Lionel Andrés Messi made history again this Monday, June 22 in the World Cup 2026 by becoming the top scorer of all time in the World Cup.
The Argentine reached the record by scoring against Austria, on the second day of Group J. With that score he reached 17 goals in World Cups and surpassed the German Miroslav Klose, who had the mark of 16.
Messi started the tournament three goals shy of the record Klose, but his performance in his debut, when he scored three times against Algeria, and the goal against Austria allowed him to equal and surpass the historical mark.
The score came in the 38th minute, after a collective play. Facundo Medina sent a low cross into the area and Thiago Almada let the ball pass between his legs. The action left Messi in a favorable position to define with the inside edge of his left foot and score 1-0.
With this goal, the Argentine captain expanded his legacy by reaching the historic figure exactly 20 years after his first score in a World Cup, achieved in Germany 2006 against Serbia and Montenegro. At the moment he has 17, one more than Klose, who scored 16 in the 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups).
Here is Lionel Messi’s historic goal to become the top scorer in World Cup history with 17.#worldwidefootball2026 pic.twitter.com/T0yvsn6oNG
— Wencio Bandres (@elflacoweb) June 22, 2026
At almost 40 years old, Messi maintains his validity and quality, which reinforces his status as one of the best footballers of all time. The record adds to a career marked by numerous successes.
Furthermore, the mark was reached on a symbolic date for Argentine soccer, on the 40th anniversary of two historic goals by Diego Armando Maradona. The moment evoked the legacy of the world champion, author of two of the most memorable scores in the history of this sport: “The Hand of God” and “The Goal of the Century.”