Lionel Messi
achieved a historic milestone on Monday by scoring two goals against Austria, leading
Argentina to a 2-0 victory and advancing to the knockout stage.
The performance clearly took a toll on him.
With these two goals, Messi improved his 2026 World Cup total to
five goals, the highest among players after two matches. Previously, he had netted all three goals for Argentina in their hat trick in their 3-0 win over Algeria.
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His two goals on Monday also
placed him at the top of the all-time World Cup scorers list with his 17th and 18th goals in tournament play. Messi entered this match tied for the record with Miroslav Klose of Germany at 16 goals.
When asked after the match about his favorite among his 18 World Cup goals, Messi responded:
“I’m not sure,” he said, through a translator. “Honestly, today, I don’t remember. I’m tired and low on strength, so thinking is difficult.”
“I’m just enjoying the moment and looking forward to being with my teammates.”
And with that, time to rest.
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Messi, who is just two days shy of his 39th birthday, has four days to recuperate before Argentina’s final Group J match against Jordan. He is in a fierce competition for the all-time goals title and the Golden Boot.
Kylian Mbappé from France is closing in on Messi in both categories. On Monday, Mbappé scored twice, moving within one goal of Messi in the Golden Boot race.
Additionally, he boasts 16 all-time World Cup goals, tying with Klose and putting him just two goals behind Messi on the all-time list.
With so much at stake, it’s likely Messi will be ready for Argentina’s next match on Saturday and the ensuing knockout rounds.