Messi breaks World Cup scoring record as Argentina advances

Lionel Messi continued to redefine football greatness on Monday, scoring twice as defending champion Argentina defeated Austria 2-0 to secure a place in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage while setting a new all-time tournament scoring record.

Just two days before his 39th birthday, Messi increased his World Cup tally to 18 goals, surpassing the previous men's record of 16 held by Germany's Miroslav Klose and moving beyond Brazil legend Marta's overall World Cup mark of 17 goals across the men's and women's tournaments.

The Argentine captain entered the match level with the all-time record after opening his sixth World Cup campaign with a hat trick in a 3-0 victory over Algeria.

Messi squandered an early opportunity to make history when he sent a penalty wide after Lautaro Martínez was fouled inside the box. Yet the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner quickly responded in trademark fashion.

He opened the scoring by finishing a flowing Argentine move, arriving unmarked inside the penalty area to convert a low cross from Facundo Medina. The goal tied him with Marta's overall World Cup record before he added a second in stoppage time, reacting quickest inside the area to seal the victory and establish a new benchmark of 18 goals.

The brace also extended Messi's remarkable streak to six consecutive World Cup matches with a goal.

Argentina's victory secured qualification for the knockout rounds with one group-stage match still to play. Lionel Scaloni's side now has six points from two matches after victories over Algeria and Austria, reinforcing its status as one of the favorites to retain the title won in Qatar four years ago.

For Messi, the latest record is another addition to a career already overflowing with accolades. He is the first footballer to appear in six World Cups and remains Argentina's most-capped player and all-time leading scorer. His résumé includes eight Ballon d'Or awards, a World Cup title, two Copa América crowns and more than 40 major trophies at club level.

What made the achievement even more remarkable was the timing. At an age when most footballers have long retired, Messi remains the focal point of a World Cup contender and arguably the tournament's most influential player.