Lionel Messi delivered another historic performance as defending champions Argentina booked their place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Austria in Dallas.
The Argentina captain etched his name deeper into football history by becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history, scoring both goals to send his side through to the next round with one group game still to play.
It was a dramatic evening for Messi, who endured an early setback before eventually taking centre stage.
Argentina were awarded a first-half penalty after VAR reviewed and confirmed a foul on Lautaro Martínez inside the box. But the 38-year-old missed the opportunity to make history immediately, sending his spot-kick wide.
The miss, however, only delayed the inevitable.
Messi responded in trademark fashion later in the first half, timing his run perfectly before meeting a low cross from Facundo Medina and calmly finishing to give Argentina the lead.
The goal carried even greater significance as it took Messi to 17 World Cup goals, moving him ahead of Germany legend Miroslav Klose to become the tournament’s outright highest goalscorer.
With Austria pushing for an equaliser in the closing stages, Messi struck again in stoppage time to seal the win and complete another memorable night in Argentina colours.
His second goal took his tally to five goals in just two Group J matches after opening the tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria.
Austria, who defeated Jordan in their opening fixture, showed energy and determination throughout the contest but struggled to convert their attacking moments into clear chances.
Despite the defeat, they remain in contention to progress from the group.
For Argentina, the result guarantees qualification to the knockout rounds and strengthens their position at the top of Group J as they continue their title defence.
Once again, Messi stood at the centre of it all by rewriting records and reminding the football world why his name continues to define the biggest stage of the game.