Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history during a group-stage match against Austria on Monday, June 16 [1].
This achievement cements Messi's legacy as the most prolific goalscorer in the history of the tournament, surpassing a long-standing benchmark set by Germany's Miroslav Klose.
Messi entered the match trailing the previous record of 16 goals held by Klose [2]. During the contest, Messi scored two goals to lead Argentina to a 2-0 win [3]. His 17th goal officially broke the record [4], and he finished the match with a total of 18 World Cup goals [3].
The victory was not without tension. Messi missed a penalty earlier in the game, but he recovered to score a decisive goal in stoppage time [3]. The win ensured Argentina's progression to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup [3].
Messi's climb to the top of the scoring charts follows years of consistent performance across multiple tournaments. By overtaking Klose, he becomes the only player to reach 18 goals in the competition's history [3].
“Lionel Messi became the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history.”
Messi's ascent to the top of the World Cup scoring list provides a statistical capstone to his international career. By surpassing Klose, Messi has transitioned from being a dominant player of his era to the most successful individual finisher in the history of the world's most prestigious football tournament.
