Lionel Messi celebrated his 39th birthday by becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals.
His brace against Austria secured Argentina’s 2-0 win and pushed him past Miroslav Klose’s 16 and Marta’s 17, cementing his place as the greatest scorer across both men’s and women’s tournaments.
Messi opened the 2026 World Cup with a hat-trick against Algeria before netting twice against Austria. He became the first player since Just Fontaine in 1958 to score five goals in his team’s opening two matches. He also became only the second man to score his nation’s first five goals of a tournament, after Oleg Salenko in 1994.
These performances propelled Argentina into the knockout rounds and placed Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings with five goals. Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland follow closely with four goals each, keeping the race highly competitive. Other contenders like Deniz Undav and Jonathan David remain in the mix as the tournament progresses.
Messi’s record adds another milestone to a career already decorated with eight Ballon d’Ors, two Golden Balls, and a World Cup title. At 39, he is likely playing his final World Cup, aiming to secure the Golden Boot, the only major award missing from his collection.
While some former players speculate about his participation in the 2030 World Cup, Messi has said he is focused on the present. He emphasised that he will continue playing as long as he feels fit and capable of leading Argentina.
