Story by Anashe Murombedzi
ARGENTINA’S Lionel Messi has rewritten the FIFA World Cup record books after becoming the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer, further strengthening his claim as one of football’s greatest players.
What began with a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening match against Algeria, taking Messi level with the previous World Cup scoring benchmark of 16 goals set by Germany’s Miroslav Klose, is now an intriguing story of greatness after the Argentine scored a brace in the two-nil victory over Austria.
The setting was perfect, yet it started with a penalty miss, but true to the mark of greatness, Messi responded in trademark fashion, finding the back of the net twice, including a stunning effort and a late strike in stoppage time.
The two goals lifted his World Cup tally to 18, making him the outright leading goal scorer in the history of the tournament.
Remarkably, through Argentina’s opening two matches, Messi has scored all five of the reigning champions’ goals, underlining his enduring influence on the global stage.
At an age when many expected him to be winding down his international career, Messi continues to deliver on football’s biggest platform and add new chapters to an already glittering legacy.
While the Argentine sits alone at the summit, France’s Kylian Mbappé remains firmly in pursuit.
The 27-year-old, who claimed the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has added four more goals at the 2026 tournament to take his overall World Cup tally to 16 goals after leading France to a 3-0 victory over Iraq.
Mbappé now trails Messi’s new record by just two goals, setting up an intriguing race as the tournament progresses.
