Messi breaks World Cup scoring record vs Austria
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- Messi broke the all-time World Cup scoring record with his 17th and 18th tournament goals against Austria, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose — four of those 18 have been penalties.
- Argentina secured their knockout-stage place with a Group J game to spare, beating Austria 2-0 in front of 70,649 fans at Dallas Stadium and topping the group as defending champions.
- Messi missed a 9th-minute penalty after VAR awarded a foul on Lautaro Martinez, then recovered to score from Facundo Medina's low cross in the 38th minute and added a stoppage-time second at 90+6.
- Messi became the first player in over half a century to score in six consecutive World Cup matches, with five goals across Argentina's first two Group J fixtures following his hat-trick against Algeria.
- Argentina goalkeeper Romero suffered a knee injury in the 57th minute and was replaced by Otamendi — an early concern for the holders heading into the knockout rounds.
- Messi admitted post-match he was 'really angry about missing the penalty' but credited his teammates: 'I was able to make up for it,' he said.
- Austria remain in contention to progress from Group J despite the loss, having beaten Jordan in their opening match and producing a combative, if quality-light, display under Ralf Rangnick.
Why it matters: Argentina's 2-0 win books their knockout-stage place as defending champions, while Messi's 18-goal haul sets a benchmark that had stood since Klose's 2014 retirement. The victory comes at a cost: goalkeeper Romero's 57th-minute knee injury forced an Otamendi substitution, leaving a live question over Argentina's defensive depth before the business end of the tournament.
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