Argentina captain Lionel Messi has written his name into football history after becoming the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history.
The Inter Miami forward scored his 17th World Cup goal during Argentina’s match against Austria at the 2026 tournament, moving above Germany legend Miroslav Klose.
Messi’s historic goal came after he recovered from an earlier missed opportunity when he failed to convert a penalty.
Argentine star overtakes Klose
The 38-year-old eventually found the back of the net with a composed finish from outside the box to give Argentina the lead.
The goal moved Messi ahead of Klose, who previously held the record with 16 World Cup goals.
The milestone adds another achievement to Messi’s legendary career, which already includes numerous individual awards and major international honours.
Messi reaches another World Cup milestone
The Argentina captain has also become the first player in football history to appear at six different FIFA World Cup tournaments.
His latest record continues an extraordinary international career that has seen him remain among the world’s best players for more than two decades.
Top World Cup Goalscorers In History
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 17 goals
- Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goals
- Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) – 15 goals
- Gerd Müller (Germany) – 14 goals
- Kylian Mbappé (France) – 14 goals