Monday, June 22, went down in football history: Lionel Messi scored twice against Austria at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, setting the all-time World Cup scoring record. Argentina won 2:0 and secured their place in the Round of 32. The morning digest already reported the match result — below is a closer look at the record and its context.
The record the whole world was waiting for
The 38-year-old Messi opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a left-footed strike — his 17th career World Cup goal, surpassing Miroslav Klose's previous record of 16 goals for Germany. In stoppage time, the Argentine added his 18th, bringing his tally at this tournament to five goals. Notably, Messi had missed a penalty in the 9th minute, with the ball going wide of the right post.
The record was set two days before Messi's 39th birthday on June 24. He also became the first player to score in six consecutive World Cup matches, joining French striker Just Fontaine and Brazilian Jairzinho. Monday marked Messi's 28th World Cup appearance — an absolute FIFA record.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said after the match: "Even when the team was struggling, he was winning the ball back, he was committed. I don't know what else to say — no words are enough." Messi himself admitted he was very angry about the missed penalty but was glad the team managed to turn things around and claim three points.
Messi surpasses the women's record too
Messi's 18 World Cup goals are an absolute record not only among men, but among all players in the tournament's history: he overtook Brazil's Marta, who scored 17 goals at Women's World Cups. Twelve of Messi's 18 goals have come after the age of 35, underscoring his phenomenal form at a mature age.
France and Norway also advance to the Round of 32
Alongside Messi's record, other stars also made their mark. Kylian Mbappé scored a brace as France beat Iraq 3:0 in Philadelphia — though the match was suspended for 2 hours and 10 minutes due to a thunderstorm. Erling Haaland also scored twice as Norway defeated Senegal 3:2, securing their place in the knockout stage from Group I.
Algeria beat Jordan 2:1 in the late match (Amine Gouiri's goal in the 82nd minute confirmed by VAR), which definitively confirmed Argentina's lead in Group J.
Tonight's schedule
Tonight (Kyiv time) at the 2026 World Cup: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan (Group K, Houston), England vs. Ghana (Group L, Foxboro), Panama vs. Croatia (Group L, Toronto), and Colombia vs. DR Congo (Group K, Guadalajara). A full preview will be available in the preview section at 18:45 Kyiv time.
Photo: NBC News · Editorial (source)
