Frank Rondel
Lionel Messi World Cup scoring record reached 17 goals during Argentina’s Group J match against Austria. The captain surpassed Miroslav Klose two days before his 39th birthday, as reported by the customreceipt.com editorial team.
Messi Responds After Missing An Early Penalty
Messi had an opportunity to claim the record in the ninth minute. His left-footed penalty travelled narrowly wide of the right post.
The miss followed a foul on Lautaro Martínez inside the Austrian penalty area. Officials awarded the kick after reviewing the incident.
Argentina’s captain responded in the 38th minute. His finish gave the defending champions a 1-0 lead and secured the historic milestone.
World Cup Scoring Record Changes Hands
Messi had matched Klose’s total of 16 goals against Algeria. He scored his first World Cup hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory.
The decisive numbers underline the scale of his achievement:
| Record | Lionel Messi |
|---|---|
| World Cup goals | 17 |
| Tournament appearances | 28 |
| World Cups played | 6 |
| Consecutive games with a goal | 6 |
Klose scored 16 goals across 24 matches for Germany. His final tournament ended with victory over Messi’s Argentina in 2014.
Messi Extends His Historic World Cup Run
The Austria match was Messi’s record 28th World Cup appearance. His latest goal also extended his scoring streak to six tournament games.
His recent milestones include:
- a hat-trick against Algeria;
- a goal in his 200th international appearance;
- 17 World Cup goals;
- appearances at six World Cups.
The achievement came during a difficult period for Messi’s family. His father, Jorge Messi, is receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness.
Messi became emotional after scoring against Algeria. He later explained that his tears followed several difficult days away from football.
Earlier we wrote that Warrior Cats Animated Series Is Coming to Disney+ in 2028