18 Beholding Messi’s Climb To a Record, Goal by Goal

Another World Cup match, another land- mark achievement for Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who now stands alone with the record for most World Cup goals scored. Messi scored his 17th and 18th World Cup goals (and fifth in two matches so far this tournament) on Monday against Austria to send him past Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the career leading scorer in soccer’s biggest tournament.

Messi’s hat trick in Argentina’s opening game at this World Cup, against Algeria, took him level with Klose. But his two against Austria put him at the top of the list on his own. Klose had held the record since 2014, when he surpassed the Brazilian Ronaldo with his 16th goal.

Messi’s 18 goals have come at five World Cups: 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026. (He failed to find the net in 2010.) Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo is the only other man to find the net at so many editions of the compe- tition, with 10 goals scored in his six World Cups, including two on Tuesday. Argentina’s fans knew what was at stake on Monday.

Most jerseys in the stadium bore Messi’s name, and plenty of people brought their children to see him play. Messi had prime chances early on to give the supporters what they had come to see. Given a penalty inside the first 10 minutes, he put the ball wide. But that only delayed the inevitable. Argentina never force-fed Messi; instead, as usual, chances around the box found him. His fluid movement repeatedly placed him in prime positions, even as Austria did well to box him in as he strolled around the field.

For a while, Austria reacted quickly when he escaped and blocked two of his close-range chances. But as halftime approached, a goal seemed to be on its way. Argentina’s plays were too pretty, the outbursts too swift for Messi not to capitalize. In the 38th minute, Facundo Medina found Messi trailing, unmarked at the top of the box, and Messi found the back of the net.

Messi and his teammates huddled in cele- bration. The fans’ songs began in earnest. Then, in stoppage time at the end of the match, Messi scrambled for a second goal to extend his record tally and enhance his claim for a first World Cup Golden Boot. “The goals I scored came in a spectacular way,” Messi said. “It’s a shame about the penalty I missed.

You never know what could have happened. We are happy with the result and with what we achieved as a team.” Messi’s record may not stand for long. France’s Kylian Mbappé has 16 World Cup goals already at the age of 27, with four so far during this tournament, including two on Monday. But for now, Messi is the king of World Cup goals.