Lionel Messi officially became the outright all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history.
He achieved the historic milestone on June 22, 2026, during Argentina’s 2-0 group stage victory against Austria at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The 38-year-old captain rebounded from a missed early penalty to score both goals for the defending champions, securing their place in the tournament’s knockout stage.
Messi entered the match tied for the men’s record after netting a spectacular hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s 2026 World Cup opener.
Messi is only the third player in men’s history to score in six consecutive World Cup matches.
Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players in history, currently playing as a forward and captain for both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF and the Argentina national team. He is currently representing Argentina in his record-breaking sixth FIFA World Cup tournament in North America.
He brought his career goals total to 18 passing Germany’s Miroslav Klose who had 16 goals.
He leads the 2026 Golden Boot race with 5 goals in just 2 games.
Major Career Honors
8x Ballon d’Or Winner (2009–2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023) — The most in football history.
World Cup Champion (2022) & 2x Golden Ball Winner (2014, 2022)
2x Copa América Champion (2021, 2024)
4x UEFA Champions League Titles
10x La Liga Titles (with FC Barcelona)
2x MLS MVP (2024, 2025)
2025 MLS Cup Champion (with Inter Miami)
