At 38, Messi scores twice, surpasses Klose and becomes top scorer in World Cup history
Athlete Lionel Messi, from Arlington, Texas, once again demonstrated his ability to score goals and rewrite history, marking the milestone in his sixth World Cup.
The Argentine captain now stands as the sole holder of the world cup goals record, finishing a remarkable performance that had a challenging start with a missed penalty, but culminated in a victory celebration. Seen by many as the greatest footballer in history, Messi was the scorer of two goals in the match against Austria, which ended 2-0 last Monday. That performance took him to a total of 18 goals, surpassing Germany’s Miroslav Klose, with whom he had tied the record of 16 goals after his first hat-trick in the league, which came six days ago.
“I’m extremely happy with the triumph,” declared Messi after the game. He added that the match was “immense, arduous and complex”, and that the result will bring “more serenity for the next challenges”. The player also emphasized that “all the clashes in this World Cup are very even and high intensity”, stating that he is “enjoying this phase and looking forward to celebrating with my teammates.”
Messi’s first goal against Austria came in the 38th minute of the match, just two days before his 39th birthday, in a period marked by concern about his father’s health. This was Messi’s sixth consecutive World Cup game with goals, a feat that puts him alongside legends such as France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho. The winning move came approximately thirty minutes after the star had wasted a penalty that could have anticipated breaking the record.
“I had moments of great frustration after missing the maximum penalty, but I managed to redeem myself”, revealed Messi, who also boasts a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, an award given to the best player in Europe.
The Argentine team secured its qualification for the knockout stage after triumphing in the first two matches of the group stage. Furthermore, Messi was responsible for all the goals in the 3-0 victory over Algeria, in a match played in Kansas City, Missouri.
Messi’s eighteenth World Cup goal came in the final seconds of injury time, when the striker managed to finish between several markers, after an initial attempt was blocked by goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
“I was aware that it wouldn’t be simple,” Messi said, according to translated statements. He added that, “given the direction of the World Cup and the way the games are being played, the competition is very level. No one makes it easy for anyone.”
The historic goal mark was achieved exclusively by Messi in the first half of the game. He capitalized on a positioning error by Schlager, after Thiago Almada allowed Facundo Medina’s pass to reach his left foot, approximately 20 meters from the opponent’s goal.
“I already lack words to describe Leo”, declared the coach of the Argentine national team, Lionel Scaloni, through an interpreter.
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Shortly after the ball crossed the goal line, marking the historic 17th goal, Messi ran towards the corner flag and raised his right arm, celebrating the feat with the predominantly Argentine fans, who numbered 70,649 spectators at the Dallas Cowboys stadium, an NFL team, which was full.
“It’s a huge difference for a 39-year-old player to be able to score two goals, and five in total, right at the start of the World Cup,” Austria coach Ralf Rangnick noted through an interpreter. He added: “We knew he has a higher level, and Lionel Messi proved today that he is among the best, and that he is the best.”
A collective lament echoed among the fans present at the moment Messi missed the penalty kick, nine minutes into the game.
His penalty shot, taken with his left foot, went very close to the right post of the goal. As a result, his record in penalty kicks in regular World Cup time is now 4 successful in 7 attempts, marking losses in three consecutive editions of the tournament.
Miroslav Klose participated in 24 World Cup matches representing Germany, a team that concluded its fourth round in the tournament by winning the 2014 final 1-0 in extra time, precisely against Messi and the Argentina team.
In an interview released on June 12, Klose had already expressed his expectation that Messi would surpass the goalscoring record. “With an increased number of teams competing, there are more matches and, consequently, more opportunities to score goals. And I assume that Argentina and France will advance a lot,” Klose told the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. He added, with remarkable fair play: “It’s absolutely natural that the record will be broken at some point, and Messi is very welcome to be responsible for that. I’m a great admirer of Messi, always have been. Messi is a genius.”
Messi’s previous hat-trick, achieved in his 200th international appearance, came two decades after his first World Cup appearance in Germany, where he also made his mark. Last Monday, he reached the milestone of 28 games in the tournament, setting a new FIFA record.
The penalty was awarded after Lautaro Martínez, who was clear in the area, was brought down from behind by Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch, the latter of whom was playing with a fractured jaw.
The match continued for more than a minute while Martínez remained lying on the pitch, close to the goal. Only after the game was interrupted due to his condition, the referees analyzed the move and confirmed the penalty.
Messi’s family announced last week that the player’s father is undergoing medical treatment for an unspecified illness, without offering further details. Jorge Messi, aged 68, has always had a crucial influence on his third son’s football career, serving as agent and manager of his off-field ventures.
Lionel Messi showed great emotion after scoring his first goal against Algeria and, following the match, explained that his tears were a reflection of complicated days, not directly linked to football.
