Lionel Messi officially broke the record for the most goals in FIFA World Cup history after opening the scoring for Argentina in their Group J match against Austria, raising his total from six World Cups to 17.
The Argentina captain moved to the top of the all-time scoring chart on Monday when he fired past the Austrian goalkeeper after 38 minutes of the second group-stage match, sparking a roaring celebration at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Messi had previously matched Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup goals with a hat-trick against Algeria in a 3-0 victory that launched the defending champions' campaign in North America last week. He had missed a penalty earlier in the match against Austria.
Messi is playing in his sixth World Cup, having debuted in 2006, and now has 121 goals in 201 appearances for the national team. He is only the third player to score in six consecutive World Cups for his country.
Messi's enduring form is a positive sign for Argentina's hopes of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups. Messi wept after his first goal against Algeria, and it later emerged that his father was recovering from an undisclosed health issue.
Despite personal difficulties and a disrupted preparation due to a hamstring injury, Messi's presence continues to inspire his teammates. 'If anyone thinks this group is better without Leo, today it was clear that Leo is the most important of them all,' midfielder Alexis Mac Allister said after the Algeria win.
The Inter Miami forward did not commit to the North American tournament until late, but nobody truly believed he would be absent from Argentina's title defense. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star had led his country to World Cup glory four years earlier.
Argentina could secure a place in the next round with a win over Austria and would be guaranteed top spot in Group J if Jordan do not beat Algeria on Monday. Behind former Germany striker Klose, the next on the all-time list is Brazil legend Ronaldo with 15 goals, one ahead of Gerd Muller and French star Kylian Mbappe.
