Lionel Messi Sets All-Time World Cup Goals Record

Lionel Messi scored two goals against Austria in Argentina's group‑stage match, bringing his World Cup tally to 18 and overtaking the previous men’s record held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose and the overall record held by Brazil’s Marta. The brace also gave Messi his 28th World Cup appearance, the most ever, and marked his 13th Man of the Match award at the tournament. At 38 years old, Messi became the oldest player to record a World Cup hat‑trick and the oldest to score a brace, further extending his list of age‑defying achievements.

His performance ties him with France’s Kylian Mbappé for second‑most World Cup goals (16) and highlights Messi’s continued impact as the tournament’s leading scorer across five different World Cups.