FIFA World Cup 2026: Messi surpasses Klose for most wins by a player in World Cup history
Texas, June 23
Lionel Messi set a new record for the most wins by a player in FIFA World Cup history, surpassing German legend Miroslav Klose's tally of 17 victories after leading Argentina to a 2-0 win over Austria with a record-breaking brace in their Group J match on Monday, June 22 in Texas.
According to Guinness World Records, Messi now has 18 victories in FIFA World Cup matches, the highest by any player in the tournament's history.
Messi had equalled Miroslav Klose's long-standing record of 17 World Cup wins after Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria in their 2026 World Cup opener, a match in which he scored a hat-trick. With the win over Austria, Messi moved clear of Klose and now holds the record outright with 18 World Cup victories.
Coming to the match, 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. 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.
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.
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.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, I used to think Ronaldo was better, but Messi's consistency in World Cups is unreal. Seven goals in two matches? And that counter-attack goal in stoppage time was pure class. Reminds me of Sachin Tendulkar's longevity—age is just a number for these legends.
Great achievement, but can we talk about Austria's fight? They really troubled Argentina in the first half. If they had been more clinical, this could have been a different match. Messi's brilliance aside, Argentina's defense looked shaky at times. They need to improve if they want to defend the title.
As a football fan from the US, I'm just amazed by Messi's longevity. Klose's record felt untouchable, but Messi made it look easy. The way he leads counter-attacks even at this age is incredible. Also, that Thiago Almada dummy was brilliant—Argentina's young players are learning from the best!
Just imagine—Messi is 39 tomorrow and still scoring hat-tricks and braces in World Cups. Meanwhile, our Indian football team can't even qualify for the Asian Cup properly. Football development in India needs a massive overhaul. We can only dream of having a player even half as good as Messi. 😔
Six consecutive World Cup matches with a goal—that's insane consistency. Messi isn't just breaking records; he's setting new benchmarks that might never be beaten. The way he recovered from that penalty miss mentally shows his champion mindset. Vamos Argentina! 🇦🇷🔥
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.