Milestone Messi sends Argentina to World Cup knockout stage

Lionel Messi etched his name further into World Cup history on Monday, scoring both goals in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria to secure the holders' passage to the last 32 of the tournament. The Inter Miami playmaker's brace brought his World Cup tally to 18 goals, making him the all-time leading scorer in men's World Cup history.

Messi's first goal, in the 38th minute, surpassed Germany's Miroslav Klose, who previously held the record. His second strike, in the 95th minute, also moved him beyond Marta's 17 goals in the women's tournament, establishing a new overall World Cup scoring record. Despite the historic achievement, Messi acknowledged the team's primary objective: "The important thing is the qualification, winning all the matches is always in our plans."

The match was not without its challenges for the Argentine captain. He squandered an eighth-minute penalty opportunity, dragging his shot wide. This marked the third World Cup penalty miss of his career. The Austrian defense, particularly David Alaba, also frustrated Messi on several occasions, blocking potential shots and strikes.

“

We’ve already given people several joys, but we’ll try to give them more. The important thing is ​the qualification, winning all the matches is always in our plans.

However, Argentina eventually found the breakthrough thanks to Thiago Almada's build-up play, which set up Messi for the opening goal. Emi Martinez made a crucial save in the second half to deny Austria an equalizer. Despite Austria's efforts, they struggled to create significant threats in the final third.

With this victory, Argentina moves to six points in Group J, guaranteeing their place in the knockout stage. Messi, who will celebrate his 39th birthday soon, has shown no signs of slowing down, having scored his fourth and fifth goals of the finals in this match. The team's collective joy was evident, with Messi stating, "This whole group lives this with a lot of happiness. When we get together, we enjoy being together, competing, training, the day-to-day, and seeing the people like this."

“

This whole group lives this with a lot of happiness. ⁠When we get together, we enjoy being together, competing, training, the day-to-day, and seeing the people like this.