Messi dethrones Klose: now football's all-time World Cup top scorer
- With a brace against Austria (Argentina 2-0), Messi surpassed Klose and became the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cups with 18 goals.
- He is also the player with the most World Cup matches (28) and, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, one of only two to have played six World Cups.
- The record fell on the 40th anniversary of the Maradona-England match from Mexico 86, one day after Lamine Yamal took his precocity record from him.
Some days you tell your grandkids about. In Dallas, Lionel Messi scored two goals against Austria (Argentina 2-0) and, in doing so, pulled off something that seemed locked away in the history books: surpassing Miroslav Klose as the all-time World Cup top scorer. The German had been sitting on 16 since 2014. Messi arrived at this tournament three goals short of that mark, grabbed a hat-trick against Algeria to level it, and today he's gone past it. At 38 years old, the lad isn't saying goodbye—he's just adding to the legend.
The records that belong to Messi today. The brace against Austria leaves him as the all-time World Cup top scorer with 18 goals (eclipsing Klose's 16). What's more, he's the player with the most World Cup matches played (28), spread across six tournaments (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026; he didn't score in 2010) and, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, one of only two footballers to have played six World Cups.
And the milestones he already had. His hat-trick against Algeria made him the author of the oldest hat-trick in tournament history and he came agonisingly close to his 200th appearance for Argentina. Today, he also matched the mark of scoring in six consecutive World Cup matches… and he's the only one to have done it across two different tournaments. And all this after missing a penalty in the 9th minute.
The calendar's wink. The record falls bang on the 40th anniversary of Argentina's 2-1 England win in Mexico 86, the day of Maradona's goal of the century. And there's more poetry to it: Sunday, Lamine Yamal—18 years old—takes from Messi the record for youngest goalscorer; Monday, Messi—38 years old—responds by claiming the whole history book for himself. The future pushing forward and the master reminding everyone he still runs the show. Let's savour this, because it doesn't happen twice. Come on, Sporting.
Frequently asked questions
What record did Messi break against Austria in the 2026 World Cup?
With a brace in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria, Lionel Messi surpassed Miroslav Klose and became the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history, with 18 goals compared to the German's 16.
How many goals does Messi have in World Cups?
18 goals, spread across six editions (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026; he did not score in 2010). He surpassed Klose's 16, who held the record since 2014.
What other World Cup records does Messi have?
He is the player with the most World Cup matches played (28) and, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, one of only two footballers to have played in six World Cups. Additionally, he equalled the record of scoring in six consecutive matches, the only one to achieve this in two different editions.
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