The 38-year-old Lionel Messi entered the match degree with Germany’s Miroslav Klose and Brazil legend Marta.
The Argentine completed the night time alone on the summit with 18 World Cup targets throughout his profession.
LIONEL MESSI RESPONDS AFTER PENALTY MISS
The night didn’t start completely for the Argentina captain. Within the ninth minute, the world champions have been awarded a penalty after a handball contained in the Austrian space, just for Messi to pull his effort broad of the submit.
The setback proved solely non permanent. Within the thirty eighth minute, Alexis Mac Allister slipped a intelligent move into the field and Lionel Messi produced a trademark first-time end into the underside nook at hand Argentina the lead and transfer onto 17 FIFA World Cup targets.
The strike noticed him surpass Klose and grow to be the outright main scorer within the males’s event.
Additionally learn: FIFA World Cup: Cabo Verde getting ready to historic success
RECORD SEALED IN STOPPAGE TIME
Austria remained aggressive all through the second half, however Lionel Messi had the ultimate phrase.
Deep into stoppage time, the Argentine icon sparked a counterattack earlier than Julián Álvarez’s effort was saved by the goalkeeper. The unfastened ball fell kindly to Messi, who smashed house the rebound to finish his brace and seal a 2-0 victory.
The aim carried even larger significance, taking his tally to 18 and transferring him forward of Marta to grow to be the best goalscorer in FIFA World Cup historical past throughout each the lads’s and girls’s competitions.
All-time FIFA World Cup targets
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 18
- Marta (Brazil) – 17
- Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16
- Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) – 15
- Kylian Mbappé (France) – 14
For Lionel Messi, one other file has fallen. For the remainder of the soccer world, the controversy over the best participant of all time continues to tilt additional within the Argentine’s favour.
Additionally learn: African giants crash out of FIFA World Cup 2026
