38-year-old Messi reaches 18 World Cup goals, surpassing Klose's 16-mark with two strikes against Austria

The record books required a fresh set of pages after Lionel Messi's remarkable display against Austria at Dallas Stadium, where the Argentine magician netted twice to become the FIFA World Cup's all-time leading marksman with 18 career goals. Miroslav Klose's 16-goal standard, which had stood unchallenged since 2014 across four tournaments and 24 matches, finally fell to a player whose brilliance has defined an era. Messi, who celebrates his 39th birthday on June 24th, initially saw a penalty attempt saved by Alexander Schlager, yet the miss merely delayed the inevitable. Late in the first half, he received possession on the edge of the area and swept a magnificent first-time effort beyond the goalkeeper's reach, drawing level with Klose at 16 strikes. The stadium erupted as the magnitude of the moment sank in, but Messi was not finished. During stoppage time at the end of the second half, Julian Alvarez's initial shot was parried by Schlager, and the Inter Miami forward reacted quickest to hammer the rebound into the net for his 18th World Cup goal. The brace secured a 2-0 victory that propelled the reigning champions into the Round of 32 with one group match remaining. Argentina's possession share reached 58 percent across the 90 minutes, with 486 completed passes against Austria's 352, while Messi attempted 7 dribbles with a 71 percent success rate. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has now scored across five separate World Cup editions (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026), a feat shared only with Cristiano Ronaldo. His journey from a single goal against Serbia and Montenegro in 2006 to 18 strikes across 28 World Cup appearances represents a trajectory of sustained excellence spanning two decades. Austria registered 4 shots on target and won 12 aerial duels, but Argentina's defensive organization limited their clear-cut opportunities while creating 9 chances of their own, with 6 resulting in shots on frame.