Lionel Messi, with goals in the 38th and 95th minutes of the match against Austria, has become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, with 18 goals—two more than Germany’s Miroslav Klose.
Messi began the 2026 World Cup with three fewer goals than Klose, but scored a hat trick against Algeria on the first day and has added two more goals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, twenty years after opening his scoring account against Serbia and Montenegro at the World Cup in Germany.
The Top Ten All-Time World Cup Goal Scorers
1 Lionel Messi (Argentina) 18 goals
2 Miroslav Klose (Germany) 16
3 Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) 15
4 Gerd Müller (Germany) 14
4 Kylian Mbappé (France) 14
6 Just Fontaine (France) 13
7 Pelé (Brazil) 12
8 Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany) 11
8 Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) 11
10 Grzegorz Lato (Poland) 10
(Filed under: Lionel Messi breaks a historic World Cup record).
Messi: “I’m happy we qualified”
Lionel Messi said he was “happy” but also “tired” on Monday after Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria.
And in that match, the No. 10 made history with two goals, becoming the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals.
“I’m very happy about the win; it was a crucial victory—a very tough, hard-fought game that gives us peace of mind heading into what’s next.”
“This is the World Cup, and everything is very intense and closely contested, but we’re happy to have earned six points and secured our spot in the next round,” he said in a television interview.
Ya es el máximo goleador de la historia de los Mundiales
NuevaOnda.com
Messi, with humility, sought to downplay what he had achieved on Monday at the stadium in Arlington, Texas, with the Albiceleste.
But his five goals also put him at the top of the 2026 World Cup scoring leaderboard.
“I didn’t expect to start off like this. I’m tired, but I hope to celebrate this with my teammates.”
“You never know what might happen now, but I’m happy with the result and everyone’s participation.”
When asked if he had a favorite team, he said:
“I don’t have any favorites; right now I’m tired from today’s effort, and to be honest, I’m having a hard time thinking” (Filed under: Lionel Messi breaks a historic World Cup record).
With information from EFE
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