History has been rewritten. Lionel Messi has cemented his legacy as the greatest to ever play the game, adding the ultimate goal-scoring crown to an already legendary résumé.
After scoring against Austria on Monday afternoon, Messi recorded his 17th FIFA World Cup goal to become the all-time scoring leader in the men’s tournament. He’s officially surpassed the record held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose.
The record for most goals scored at a World Cup tournament is held by Brazil women’s team legend Marta with 18.
The goal came in the 38th minute at Dallas Stadium off a thunderous one-time touch from Facundo Medina’s pass that sailed into the bottom-left corner past Austria keeper Alexander Schlager.
Messi has played in every World Cup since 2006 and has scored in all but one edition, missing the scoresheet only in 2010. He scored seven goals during Argentina’s 2022 World Cup title run and has already added four more in 2026, continuing to build on his record.
On top of making World Cup history, Messi is Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer with 122 goals. He also holds the record for the most World Cup appearances, with 27, and will look to add to that total by the end of the tournament.
Could Mbappé Also Join Messi?
After making history, Messi has firmly established himself as the undisputed GOAT of the sport, while another rising star is slowly but surely building an impressive World Cup resume behind him in France star Kylian Mbappé.
At just 27 years old, Mbappé already ranks fourth on the tournament’s all-time scoring list with 14 career goals. He is also on track to surpass Klose’s mark, potentially as early as this year’s World Cup.
Kylian Mbappé for France (Getty Images)
Mbappé has already scored 14 goals in just 15 World Cup matches, including four as a 19-year-old during France’s 2018 title run.
He followed that performance by scoring eight goals in 2022, the most in the tournament, highlighted by a hat trick in the World Cup final against Argentina. Mbappé made his impact known after recording the second hat trick ever recorded in a World Cup final.
Messi may hold the record today, but Mbappé is rapidly closing the gap and appears destined to challenge it in the years ahead. The race for World Cup history is far from over and could take center stage again if France and Argentina meet in another World Cup final.
