Leo Messi added another remarkable milestone to his legendary career this evening, becoming the FIFA World Cup™’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer as he scored his record-breaking 17th and 18th World Cup goals in a brace that led Argentina to a 2-0 victory against Austria in the group stage.
With the brace, Messi surpassed former Germany forward Miroslav Klose, who previously held the record with 16 World Cup goals. The achievement comes during Messi’s sixth FIFA World Cup™ campaign, making him the first men’s player ever to appear in six editions of the tournament (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026).
So far, Messi has enjoyed a stellar start to the tournament, leading the tournament’s scoring race with five goals in Argentina’s opening two matches. His campaign began with a hat-trick in a first-round victory over Algeria before he added the historic record-breaking brace against Austria. The result also secured La Albiceleste’s place in the Round of 32.
Messi’s 18 FIFA World Cup™ Goals
2006 FIFA World Cup™ (1)
- vs. Serbia-Montenegro (Group Stage)
2014 FIFA World Cup™ (4)
- vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group Stage)
- vs. Iran (Group Stage)
- vs. Nigeria (Group Stage)
- vs. Nigeria (Group Stage)
2018 FIFA World Cup™ (1)
- vs. Nigeria (Group Stage)
2022 FIFA World Cup™ (7)
- vs. Saudi Arabia (Group Stage)
- vs. Mexico (Group Stage)
- vs. Australia (Round of 16)
- vs. Netherlands (Quarterfinals)
- vs. Croatia (Semifinals)
- vs. France (Final)
- vs. France (Final)
2026 FIFA World Cup™ (5)
- vs. Algeria (Group Stage)
- vs. Algeria (Group Stage)
- vs. Algeria (Group Stage)
- vs. Austria (Group Stage)
- vs. Austria (Group Stage)
Messi’s latest achievement further cements his status as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, adding the title of FIFA World Cup™ all-time leading men’s goalscorer to a career already filled with countless individual and collective honors. As Argentina advances to the knockout rounds, our Club captain will have the opportunity to continue extending his record on football’s grandest stage
