Messi breaks World Cup goals record with brace against Austria

Lionel Messi became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history on Monday, netting a brace in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The 38-year-old captain scored in the 38th minute and again in stoppage time to bring his World Cup tally to 18 goals, surpassing the previous record of 16 held by Germany's Miroslav Klose since 2014. Messi, who many consider the greatest player of all time, also set a new mark for most wins in the tournament with 18, eclipsing Klose once more.

The match began with frustration for Messi, who missed a penalty in the ninth minute after a foul on Lautaro Martinez was confirmed by VAR. It was his fourth successful penalty out of seven attempts at the World Cup, with misses in three consecutive tournaments. Despite the setback, Messi persevered and opened the scoring midway through the first half, receiving a pass from Facundo Medina and firing past Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager from the edge of the area. He sealed the victory in stoppage time, following up on a rebound from Julian Alvarez's shot.

"Beyond anything I'm so happy for the win," Messi said. "It was huge, tough and difficult. It would allow us to be relaxed to what's ahead." He added, "There were moments when I was really angry about missing the penalty, but I was able to make up for it." The victory ensured Argentina's place in the knockout round, having won their first two group matches. Messi has scored all five of Argentina's goals in the tournament so far, including a hat-trick in the 3-0 opening win against Algeria.

The record-breaking performance came just two days before Messi's 39th birthday and amid concern over his father's health. He became the third player in World Cup history to score in six consecutive World Cup matches, joining France's Just Fontaine and Brazil's Jairzinho. Former record holder Miroslav Klose, who scored 16 goals in 24 World Cup appearances, had expressed his hope that Messi would break the record, calling the Argentine "a genius" in a recent interview.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni praised his captain, saying, "I have no more words to talk about Leo." Austria coach Ralf Rangnick added, "Someone who is 39 years old and can score two goals, and five goals overall at the beginning of the World Cup, well, that makes a difference." Messi, who also holds the record for most Ballon d'Or awards with eight, made his World Cup debut in 2006 and scored his first goal against Serbia and Montenegro. He has now scored 122 goals in 201 appearances for Argentina.

The achievement came exactly 40 years after Diego Maradona's famous "Goal of the Century" against England in the 1986 World Cup, also on a June 22. Messi acknowledged the significance of the moment, saying, "I'm enjoying this moment and craving to enjoy with my teammates."

"I knew it wasn't going to be easy," Messi said. "The way things are going in the World Cup, the way it's being played, it's a very even game. No one is giving away anything." Argentina's victory keeps them on track to potentially secure top spot in Group J and avoid a tough knockout-round matchup against Spain.