Texas [US]: Argentine football legend Lionel Messi has said he is focused on enjoying the present moment rather than dwelling on records after achieving another milestone in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Messi scored twice as he rewrote the history books by becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in men's World Cup history ahead of his 39th birthday (June 24), flying past Klose in his side's convincing 2-0 win over Austria.
He first scored in the 38th minute to surpass Klose's mark of 16 goals and then scored another in the stoppage time to now sit 18 goals in World Cup history, two strikes clear of second-placed Klose.
Also Read | FIFA World Cup 2026: Heavyweights Portugal, England, Croatia take centre stage, eye big results
When asked about his new record and his favourite World Cup goal, Messi admitted he was not thinking too much about past achievements. The Argentine star further reflected on the missed penalty during the match, saying it may have influenced the flow of the game in unexpected ways.
"Honestly, I don't know. I don't really even remember them. I'm tired, I don't have much energy left and I'm finding it hard to think straight. I'm just going to enjoy this moment and celebrate it with my team-mates. I'm making the most of the moment and I want to see how far we can go together. Today, there was that [missed] penalty, but perhaps I wouldn't have scored the other goals if it had gone in," Argentine legend Lionel Messi said, as quoted by FIFA.
Messi also became just the second player in men's FIFA World Cup history to score four or more goals in three different editions of the tournament (2014, 2022 and 2026), according to Opta. The only other player to achieve the feat is Klose.
Also Read | FIFA World Cup standings: Six teams advance into Round of 32; check who could qualify next
Notably, the two goals also take Messi atop the leading goalscorers list in the ongoing World Cup with five goals to his name in two matches. He came into this match on the back of a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina's campaign opener.
The Argentine captain endured a frustrating start after missing a penalty in the sixth minute, sending his effort wide following a VAR-awarded spot kick. Austria responded with an energetic pressing display and troubled the defending champions for much of the first half.
However, Messi broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. A clever dummy from Thiago Almada allowed the ball to run through to the veteran forward, who calmly finished into the bottom corner to give Argentina the lead.
Austria continued to push after the break, but Argentina managed the game well through a series of tactical substitutions from head coach Lionel Scaloni around the 64th and 65th minutes, introducing fresh legs in Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Gonzalez to exploit spaces as the match opened up.
As Austria committed players forward in search of an equaliser, Argentina struck again deep into stoppage time. Messi led a swift counter-attack and finished clinically in the 95th minute to seal a 2-0 victory and complete his brace.
The 38-year-old has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches and has equalled the all-time record of six straight World Cup games with a goal, a mark jointly held by France's Just Fontaine and Brazil's Jairzinho.
The win moves Argentina to the top of Group J with six points from two matches, putting them through to the last 32.
