Lionel Messi continued his remarkable FIFA World Cup legacy by scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria, sending the defending champions into the Round of 32 with a match to spare.
Fresh from his hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s opening match, the 39-year-old produced another masterclass to guide La Albiceleste to victory and rewrite the World Cup record books in the process.
The win guarantees Argentina’s place in the knockout stages and further strengthens their status as one of the favourites to retain the trophy.
Messi Makes More History
The Argentine captain opened the scoring in the 38th minute, making amends after earlier missing a penalty.
Despite the setback, Messi remained influential throughout the contest and eventually sealed the victory late in the game with a brilliant solo effort, weaving through defenders before applying a clinical finish.
The brace took his tally to five goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and moved him clear at the top of the tournament’s all-time scoring charts.
Messi now has 18 World Cup goals in 28 appearances, surpassing the previous record of 16 goals held by German legend Miroslav Klose.
Argentina Through to Knockout Stage
With six points from their opening two matches, Argentina have secured qualification to the Round of 32 before their final group fixture.
The defending champions have looked impressive so far, scoring freely while demonstrating the quality and experience that helped them lift the trophy in 2022.
Messi’s leadership and goals continue to be central to Argentina’s ambitions of retaining their world crown.
Mbappé Keeps Pace
While Messi was making history, Kylian Mbappé was also among the goals as France defeated Iraq 3-0 to book their own place in the knockout rounds.
The French superstar scored twice, taking his tally to four goals at the tournament.
Mbappé has now scored 16 World Cup goals in just 16 appearances, drawing level with Klose as the joint second-highest scorer in World Cup history.
Ousmane Dembélé added France’s third goal as Didier Deschamps’ side maintained their perfect start to the competition.
The Race for History
With Messi on 18 goals and Mbappé on 16, the battle between two generations of football superstars is becoming one of the major storylines of the tournament.
Messi continues to set new benchmarks, while Mbappé is rapidly closing in on records that once seemed untouchable.
As both Argentina and France advance to the knockout stages, the race is far from over.
Conclusion
Lionel Messi’s World Cup story continues to grow with every match.
Another brace, another victory and another record have further cemented his place among football’s greatest-ever players. As Argentina march into the knockout rounds, the possibility of one final magical World Cup run from their captain remains very much alive.
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