Messi becomes World Cup all‑time top scorer as Ronaldo scores in sixth tournament

Lionel Messi netted a brace against Austria at the 2026 World Cup, raising his tournament tally to 18 goals and surpassing Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the all‑time leading scorer. The win moved Argentina to the top of Group J and secured a place in the knockout stage. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice versus Uzbekistan, becoming the first player to register a goal in six consecutive World Cups and taking his World Cup total to 10, the most by any Portuguese player. At 41 years and 138 days, Ronaldo also extended his record as the oldest field player to appear in a World Cup match. Both performances highlighted the continuing goal‑race among stars such as Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland as the tournament progresses in the United States.