Lionel Messi is the World Cups all-time top goalscorer.The Argentina captain bagged his 17th strike at the tournament, giving his side the lead against Austria in the process. It wasnt an easy road to history, though. Messi could have broken the record inside 10 minutes, after Lautaro Martinez was brought down inside the penalty box.The magician stepped up, but put the ball wide from 12 yards, sending a stunned silence around the stadium.But he had his moment before half-time.Looking to make up for his error, Messi found space on the edge of the Austria box, running on to a Facundo Medina cutback, which was cleverly left by one of his team-mates.Hitting the ball first time, Messi guided his strike into the back of the net, before letting the emotion loose as he celebrated a historic moment.He now stands clear of both Kylian Mbappe and German legend Miroslav Klose, who have 15 goals to their name at the World Cup. Topics Argentina National Football Team Lionel Messi Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read WATCH: Messi proves he is human after missing record-breaking penalty at World Cup Mitch Fretton 22nd June, 2026 LIVE Argentina v Austria: Commentary, updates, goals and stats as Lionel Messi takes centre stage in Dallas Jon Fisher 22nd June, 2026 Argentina vs Austria: Line-ups confirmed as Messi looks to break World Cup goal record Mitch Fretton 22nd June, 2026 Get enhanced odds of 1/1 on Lionel Messi to score or assist for Argentina against Austria with bet365 Jon Fisher 22nd June, 2026 Argentina v Austria: Predicted line-ups, where to watch, stats and preview as Messi looks to break goals record Mitch Fretton 22nd June, 2026 World Cup 2026: Full list of confirmed teams, fixtures, groups and results Ben Miller 22nd June, 2026
