Lionel Messi breaks several football records to help holders Argentina beat Austria 2-0

XtraTime Newsdesk — Lionel Messi rewrote soccer history yet again during Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, breaking four major records in a single night.

Despite dragging an eighth-minute penalty wide which made him the outright holder for both the most penalties taken (7) and missed (3) in World Cup history. The 38-year-old maestro responded with a stunning brace.

Those two clinical finishes catapulted Messi to 18 career World Cup goals, officially shattering Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s men's record of 16, and Brazil’s Marta’s all-time cross-tournament record of 17. The historic night also saw the Argentine captain extend his own records for the most tournament appearances (28 matches) and most career World Cup victories (18 wins).

Furthermore, by playing the full match, Messi overtook the record for the most minutes played in World Cup history, raising the new benchmark to 2,489 minutes. He also became the oldest player to score a multi-goal game in the tournament's history, while extending his active scoring streak to six consecutive World Cup matches dating back to Qatar 2022.

As Argentina marches forward, Messi continues to elevate his unmatched legacy, proving that even an early missed penalty cannot slow down his pursuit of football immortality.

(Photo Courtesy: AFA/Twitter)