Lionel Messi scored twice as Argentina beat Austria 2-0 in their Group J clash at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Monday, securing the defending champions a place in the knockout stage.
Messi's brace also saw him rewrite the record books. The Argentine captain became the all-time leading goalscorer in men's FIFA World Cup history, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose. His opener took him past Klose's tally of 16 goals, while his second of the night extended his World Cup total to 18. The star player has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches, equalling the record jointly held by France's Just Fontaine and Brazil's Jairzinho.
The 38-year-old endured a frustrating start after missing a sixth-minute penalty awarded following a VAR review. Austria responded with an energetic pressing game and troubled Argentina for much of the opening half.
Messi, however, broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. A clever dummy from Thiago Almada allowed the ball to run through to the veteran forward, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner to put Argentina ahead.
Austria continued to push for an equaliser after the break, but Argentina managed the contest effectively. Head coach Lionel Scaloni introduced Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Gonzalez around the hour mark as the match opened up.
With Austria committing more players forward in search of a goal, Argentina struck again deep into stoppage time. Messi led a swift counterattack and finished clinically in the 95th minute to seal the victory and complete his brace.
The two goals saw Messi become the all-time leading goalscorer in men's FIFA World Cup history. He moved past Germany's Miroslav Klose with his opening goal before taking his overall World Cup tally to 18 with his second strike.
The victory continued Argentina's perfect start to the tournament after their 3-0 win over Algeria and moved them to the top of Group J with six points from two matches.
After the match, Scaloni praised Messi's commitment and influence, highlighting the forward's work rate and contribution when Argentina were under pressure.
"When the team was having a rough time without the ball he worked, he managed to steal the ball. You could see his level of commitment," Scaloni said.
The Argentina coach also acknowledged the challenge posed by Austria and credited his side for staying resilient during difficult phases of the contest.
"The team did suffer today, at times they were creating difficulties and we didn't have possession. We know how to suffer and that's something praiseworthy as a team," he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
