Lionel Messi has become the outright leading scorer in men’s World Cup history after netting his 17th tournament goal during Argentina’s Group J match against Austria.
The strike moved the Argentine captain ahead of retired Germany forward Miroslav Klose, whose record of 16 goals had stood since the 2014 World Cup.
Messi, who turns 39 in two days, scored in the first half after meeting a pass inside the penalty area and calmly finishing past the Austrian goalkeeper. The goal came after he had earlier missed a penalty, delaying what many expected would be another historic milestone in a career already filled with records.
A record-breaking career
The captain of Argentina’s team entered the 2026 World Cup on 13 goals and rapidly climbed the rankings after scoring his first World Cup hat-trick in his country’s opening victory over Algeria. That performance brought him level with Klose, before he finally moved clear against Austria.
The achievement adds to a growing list of records for Messi at this tournament. Earlier this month, he became the first male footballer to appear in six World Cups, extending a career that has spanned more than two decades at the highest level of the international game.
While Messi now sits alone at the top of the men’s rankings, several active players are continuing their pursuit. France captain Kylian Mbappé currently has 14 World Cup goals and remains the closest challenger, while England striker Harry Kane has 10.
The record-breaking moment comes as Messi attempts to guide Argentina to a fourth World Cup title and a second consecutive crown following the team’s triumph in Qatar for years ago.
The record in women’s football is held by the Brazil’s Marta, who also has 17 goals to her name after scoring in five consecutive World Cups.