Lionel Messi, Argentina’s captain and widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, has officially broken the FIFA World Cup goalscoring record after scoring against Austria in a Group J clash at the 2026 World Cup in Dallas.
The historic moment arrived in the 38th minute when Messi netted his 17th career World Cup goal, moving past Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who previously held the record with 16 goals.
The strike confirmed Messi as the outright all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, marking another defining milestone in a career already filled with records and trophies.
The goal also added to his impressive 2026 tournament tally, following his hat-trick in Argentina’s 3–0 win over Algeria in their opening match of the competition.
Messi had earlier missed a chance to reach the landmark from the spot in the 8th minute when his penalty went wide, but he eventually made amends with the record-breaking finish later in the game.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is currently featuring in what is widely expected to be his sixth and final World Cup, as he continues to lead Argentina’s charge to defend their crown after winning the 2022 edition against France.
