Messi Breaks Men’s World Cup Scoring Record, Equals Marta’s All-Time Mark With 17th Goal

Argentina star Lionel Messi etched his identify additional into soccer historical past on Monday, changing into the all-time main scorer in males’s World Cup historical past after netting his 17th event purpose throughout Argentina’s conflict in opposition to Austria.

The Argentina captain surpassed German striker Miroslav Klose to set a brand new males’s World Cup scoring report. The strike additionally drew him stage with Brazilian legend Marta, whose 17 targets within the Girls’s World Cup had stood as the general World Cup report, Reuters reported.

Messi reached the milestone along with his fourth purpose of the 2026 event, ending off a sweeping Argentina transfer in Dallas. The 39-year-old initiated the assault earlier than arriving unmarked contained in the penalty space to transform a low cross from Facundo Medina with a first-time end into the underside nook.

The purpose handed Argentina the lead of their second Group J fixture because the defending champions regarded to e book a spot within the knockout phases following their 3-0 opening victory over Algeria.

Messi’s World Cup Profession

Messi’s World Cup journey started in 2006 when he scored his first aggressive purpose for Argentina on the event in opposition to Serbia and Montenegro. He didn’t discover the online on the 2010 World Cup, however returned strongly in Brazil 2014, scoring 4 targets and main Argentina to the ultimate.

On the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Messi scored as soon as earlier than producing one of many best campaigns of his profession in Qatar 2022. He netted seven targets throughout Argentina’s title-winning run, together with a brace within the ultimate in opposition to France, cementing his place among the many sport’s biggest gamers, NBC Information reported.

The most recent World Cup scoring milestone provides to an already extraordinary listing of achievements. Messi holds the report for essentially the most Ballon d’Or awards with eight, scored a report 91 targets in a calendar yr in 2012, stays Barcelona’s all-time main scorer with 672 targets, and is the best goalscorer in La Liga historical past with 474 targets.