Lionel Messi broke the World Cup goalscoring record as he scored twice in Argentina's 2-0 Group J win over Austria on Monday in Dallas. The 38-year-old now has 18 World Cup goals, surpassing Miroslav Klose's previous mark of 16.
Messi's record-breaking first half
Messi had already equaled Klose's record with a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina's opening match. Against Austria, he missed an early penalty in the 10th minute after a VAR check for a challenge on Lautaro Martinez, firing wide. However, in the 38th minute, he latched onto Facundo Medina's pass and scored a cool finish into the bottom corner to claim the record outright.
Second-half drama and sealing the win
In the second half, Austria pushed for an equalizer. Michael Gregoritsch headed over from Marcel Sabitzer's cross, and Patrick Wimmer headed wide late on. Argentina extended their lead in stoppage time when Julian Alvarez's shot was saved, but the ball was recycled to Messi, who smashed home his fifth goal of the tournament.
Emiliano Martinez made a solid save from Sabitzer's free-kick, while Kevin Danso made important blocks for Austria. Argentina's Nico Gonzalez also flicked a header wide from Messi's corner.
Impact and next match
Argentina's victory secures back-to-back wins and sends them into the knockout stages. They face Jordan in their final group match early Sunday morning. Austria, meanwhile, must regroup after the defeat.
According to reports, Messi's record-breaking achievement cements his legacy as one of the greatest footballers of all time, with 18 World Cup goals in five tournaments.
