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Messi Becomes the World Cup's All-Time Top Scorer With 18 Goals
Lionel Messi scored both goals in Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria on June 22, taking his World Cup tally to 18 and moving past Miroslav Klose's 16 to become the men's tournament's all-time leading scorer. Here are the confirmed facts.
Lionel Messi has done something no man had done before. With both goals in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria in Arlington, Texas on Monday, June 22, the 38-year-old captain reached 18 career World Cup goals — moving clear of Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16) to become the all-time leading scorer in men’s FIFA World Cup history. For the reigning champions it also meant a second straight Group J win and a near-lock on the Round of 32.
What happened
Messi opened the scoring in the 38th minute at AT&T Stadium (branded “Dallas Stadium” for the tournament), the goal that drew him level with and then past Klose’s long-standing record. He added a second deep into stoppage time to settle the result and round his tally up to 18. The brace followed the hat-trick he scored in Argentina’s 3-0 opening win over Algeria, which had already lifted him level with Klose on 16 before this game.
Across six World Cups — from Germany 2006 to this North American edition — Messi has now scored 18 times. The two goals against Austria also moved him past Brazil’s Marta, who holds the FIFA Women’s World Cup record with 17, making Messi the outright top scorer across both the men’s and women’s tournaments.
The record in context
| Player | World Cup goals | Tournaments |
|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi (ARG) | 18 | 2006–2026 |
| Miroslav Klose (GER) | 16 | 2002–2014 |
| Ronaldo (BRA) | 15 | 1998–2006 |
| Gerd Müller (GER) | 14 | 1970–1974 |
| Just Fontaine (FRA) | 13 | 1958 |
Klose’s mark had stood since the 2014 World Cup, which Germany went on to win. Where Klose needed four tournaments and a run to the 2014 title to build his total, Messi’s tally is spread across six tournaments and is still climbing in a campaign that, for Argentina, is only two matches old.
What it means for Argentina
Beyond the personal milestone, the result matters. Argentina now sit on six points from two Group J games and a commanding goal difference, all but through to the knockout rounds with a match to spare. The champions have looked both efficient and ruthless: a hat-trick and a brace from their captain in the space of a week, and two clean-sheet-free but comfortable wins that keep them on track in our winner tracker.
For the bigger picture on Argentina’s title defence — squad, path and the model’s read — see Argentina’s chances at the 2026 World Cup, and our Argentina vs Austria preview for how the matchday-two meeting was framed beforehand.
Bottom line
A record that stood for more than a decade has a new owner, and the player who broke it is still adding to it in real time. Whether 18 becomes 19, 20 or more depends on how far Argentina go — but the all-time men’s World Cup scoring record now reads Lionel Messi, and it did so on a Monday night in Texas.
Result, goal timings and the all-time scoring tally are per official FIFA match data and multiple major outlets (Al Jazeera, NBC News, ESPN, NPR, Olympics.com). This report contains only confirmed facts.