FIFA World Cup: Lionel Messi breaks all-time scoring record

Factual coreconfirmed by several independent voices

• A clever dummy from Thiago Almada allowed the ball to run through to the veteran forward, who calmly finished into the bottom corner to give Argentina the lead.

  reliability moderate2/2 sources

• The brace marked another milestone for the Argentine legend, taking his World Cup tally to a record 18 goals.

  reliability moderate2/2 sources

• However, Messi broke the deadlock in the 38th minute.

  reliability moderate2/2 sources

• June 22 (THEWILL) — Defending champions, Argentina, secured their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout rounds after a 2-0 victory over Austria in Group J at Dallas Stadium, Texas, on Monday.

  reliability moderate3/3 sources

• Both goals were scored by Lionel Messi (38 and 90+5).

  reliability moderate2/2 sources

Reported detailssecondary facts, each attributed to its source

• Coming up next for La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue) is the final match of Group J against Jordan on Sunday 28 June in Dallas at 04:00.

  according to The South African

• Messi also registered his 11th hat-trick in the Argentine shirt, overhauling Ronaldo’s tally of 10 hat-tricks to script the most hat-tricks in men’s international football.

  according to Hindustan Times

• News Article Published Jun 22, 2026 at 10:13 PM EDT By Matthew Couden Contributing Writer FIFA World Cup fever has erupted around the world, and particularly in the three host countries of this year's event, as fans and celebrity superfans witness some spectacular performances on the pitch.

  according to Newsweek

• The Al Nassr forward has now gone 10 consecutive matches without scoring for Portugal in major competitions.

  according to Legit.ng

• All-time FIFA World Cup goals: Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 18 Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) – 15 Kylian Mbappé (France) – 14 For Lionel Messi, another record has fallen.

  according to The South African

• The matches are held in 16 cities across the three countries.

  according to TASS

• In the last match against Algeria, Messi drew level with Klose on 16 goals.

  according to Hindustan Times

• The first of those goals gave him the all-time goals record for any player in World Cup history, with 17 scored across his various appearances.

  according to Newsweek

• Source: Getty Images The 38-year-old found the net in both halves to take his World Cup tally to 18 goals, moving two clear of former Germany striker Miroslav Klose.

  according to Legit.ng

• Messi has also become just the second player in men's FIFA World Cup history to score four or more goals in three different editions of the tournament (2014, 2022 and 2026), according to Opta.

  according to Times of Oman

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• The brace marked another milestone for the Argentine legend, taking his World Cup tally to a record 18 goals.

  omitted byRight sidePublic / Agenciescovered byCenter

• A clever dummy from Thiago Almada allowed the ball to run through to the veteran forward, who calmly finished into the bottom corner to…

  omitted byRight sidePublic / Agenciescovered byCenter

• However, Messi broke the deadlock in the 38th minute.

  omitted byRight sidePublic / Agenciescovered byCenter

• He had entered the fixture on the back of a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina's opening encounter.

  omitted byRight sidePublic / Agenciescovered byCenter

• Argentina legend Lionel Messi has set an unwanted record at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup The Barcelona legend scored a brace as La…

  omitted byRight sidecovered byCenterPublic / Agencies

Sources12 sources cross-checked

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