What happened: Lionel Messi scored his 17th career World Cup goal during Argentina's group-stage match against Austria on June 22, moving past Germany's Miroslav Klose for the most in tournament history. After an uncharacteristic early stretch in which he missed a penalty and squandered a close-range chance, the 38-year-old captain swept home a finish from the edge of the box. Argentina lead 1-0 with the match still in progress.
Why it matters: The goal gives Messi sole possession of a record that had stood since Klose set it in 2014, the definitive individual milestone to sit alongside his World Cup title. It reinforces the greatest-of-all-time case for a forward already holding a record eight Ballon d'Or awards. Coming in his late-career campaign, it extends a tournament run that few expected to still be producing history.
By the numbers: Messi now has 17 World Cup goals in 28 matches, one clear of Klose's 16. He entered the night tied on 16 after his opening-match hat-trick against Algeria. France captain Kylian Mbappe is the closest active chaser on 14.
What to watch: With Argentina aiming to progress deeper into the 2026 tournament, Messi can stretch the record further in the rounds ahead, while Mbappe remains the nearest active threat to it.