Lionel Messi reaches 17 goals and becomes the greatest scorer in the history of World Cups, surpassing Klose
Argentine star Lionel Messi became the top scorer in the history of World Cups. The number 10 of the Albiceleste team found the net this Tuesday afternoon (22) in a clash against Austria, in the second round of the group stage, isolating himself with 17 goals in World Cups. The previous record belonged to German Miroslav Klose, with 16 goals.
A retrospective of Messi’s goalscoring career in world tournaments shows the athlete’s evolution throughout his participation.
The decisive moment of the goal occurred in the 38th minute of the opening stage. After a beautiful offensive plot by the Argentine team, Medina received the ball on the left and executed a low cross. Almada, with an intelligent screen, opened the way for Messi, who finished with his left leg, placing the ball in the goalkeeper’s corner. Interestingly, minutes earlier, in the 8th minute, the star had wasted a penalty kick.
The player’s missed penalty attempt eight minutes into the first half shows that not everything was perfect at the start of the match for the Argentine captain.
With this, Lionel Messi reached his fourth goal in this 2026 World Cup, retaking the isolated lead in the competition’s artillery. He had already been responsible for the three goals in the 3-0 victory over Algeria, in Argentina’s opening match at the World Cup.
The Argentina star celebrates another goal in his impressive international career.
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This edition marks Messi’s sixth participation in the World Cup. He recorded a goal in each of the 2006 and 2018 editions; in 2014, he found the back of the net four times; and in the victorious 2022 campaign, he scored seven goals. The only World Cup in which he went blank was 2010, in South Africa.
Argentina seeks to consolidate its campaign in this World Cup, and the performance of its players is crucial for the team’s advancement.
With the 2026 World Cup calendar underway, expectations are rising for the teams’ next games.
An image of the Argentine player celebrating one of his goals in the current 2026 World Cup.
Although his best performance in terms of number of goals was in 2022, the current World Cup already stands out for its impressive goal average. In the last edition, he scored seven times in seven games, five in the knockout phase, while in this one, he already boasts an average of two goals per match, showing an exceptional performance at the start of the tournament.
- 2006: 3 games, 1 goal
- 2010: 5 games, 0 goals
- 2014: 7 games, 4 goals
- 2018: 4 games, 1 goal
- 2022: 7 games, 7 goals
- 2026: 2 games, 4 goals
Discover the updated ranking of the best scorers in World Cups
- Messi (Argentina) – 17 goals
- Klose (Germany) – 16 goals
- Ronaldo (Brazil) – 15 goals
- Gerd Muller (Germany) and Mbappé (France) – 14 goals
- Just Fontaine (France) – 13 goals
- Pelé (Brazil) – 12 goals
Just Fontaine’s feat deserves special mention, as he achieved the remarkable mark of 13 goals in a single edition of the World Cup, in 1958. This record is considered one of the most difficult to surpass in the history of football, especially considering the format and number of games at the time, which were significantly different from current tournaments.
Argentina’s next challenge in the group stage of the World Cup
- 3rd round: Jordan x Argentina, June 27, at 11pm, in Dallas
