Lionel Messi Becomes All-Time Top World Cup Scorer With 17th Goal

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The captain and forward of the Argentina national team, Lionel Messi, has written his name into world football history by establishing an absolute scoring record at the World Cup.

In the match of the second round of the 2026 World Cup group stage against the national team of Austria, the 38-year-old forward opened the scoring in the 38th minute of the encounter. This goal was the 17th for the Argentine at world championships, allowing him to surpass the legendary German forward Miroslav Klose (16 goals), who had held leadership in this ranking since 2014.

Notably, earlier in the same game, in the 9th minute, Messi failed to convert an 11-meter penalty kick, updating the historical negative record of the tournament for the number of missed penalties.

In addition to the milestone achievement for the total number of goals, the precise strike in the match against the Austrians allowed Messi to extend his goalscoring streak at the World Cup to six consecutive games, which equals the tournament record. This streak for the Argentine forward stretches back to the round of 16 match of the 2022 World Cup, which ended in victory for Argentina.

Previously, only two footballers had managed to score in six consecutive World Cup matches: Frenchman Just Fontaine in 1958 and Brazilian Jairzinho in 1970, though both achieved this result within a single calendar tournament.

At the current 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Lionel Messi is the sole leader of the top scorer race, having already netted 4 goals. In the first-round match, the Argentine leader scored a resounding hat-trick against the national team of Algeria (3-0).

As a reminder, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has been playing in the North American MLS league for the Inter Miami football club since 2023. Before moving across the ocean, the forward defended the colors of French club Paris Saint-Germain and Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won the UEFA Champions League four times.

As part of the national team, Messi has won the titles of world champion (2022), Olympic champion (2008), and has also twice won the Copa America (2021, 2024). The current world championship, which is taking place for the first time in an expanded format with the participation of 48 national teams, will conclude on 19 July 2026.