Read 4 minutesUpdated: June 23, 2026 07:59 AM IST
The day he missed the penalty, Lionel Messi made history by scoring two goals Austria vs Argentina in FIFA World Cup group match. The brace means Messi has scored all five of Argentina’s goals in their 2026 World Cup campaign.
Thanks to the two goals, Messi reached a record 18 goals at the FIFA World Cup, surpassing Miroslav Klose on 16. The win means Messi has won 18 World Cup matches as a player, overtaking Klose’s 17.
With his first goal against Austria, Messi has now opened the scoring in seven of Argentina’s last nine World Cup matches. He became only the third player in World Cup history to score in six consecutive games after France’s Just Fontaine in 1958 and Brazil’s Jairzinho in 1970.
The Argentina coach summed up his thoughts on his captain in one sentence: “I have no more words to say. LionScalloni said.
Messi, on the other hand, was more excited about the team’s victory than all these individual records.
“I’m very happy for this win,” Messi said after the game. “It was big, tough and difficult. It will allow us to rest assured about what lies ahead. All matches in this World Cup are very equal, very intense. I’m enjoying this moment and want to enjoy it with my teammates.”
Argentina’s Lionel Messi, left, scores his team’s second goal with Leandro Paredes during the World Cup Group J soccer match between Argentina and Austria, Monday, June 22, 2026, near Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Messi later admitted that he was upset with himself for missing a penalty in the early stages of the game.
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“There were moments when I was really angry about missing the penalty, but I was able to make up for it,” Messi said.
Argentina won their first two group matches to advance to the knockout stages.
Incredibly, Messi’s history comes on the same date 40 years ago when Diego Maradona scripted global headlines with an unforgettable performance against England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Maradona scored two of his famous World Cup goals 40 years ago on June 22 in Argentina’s 2-1 quarter-final win over England. These included the infamous Hand of God goal and the goal known as the Goal of the Century. 40 years since that historic day, Messi has made history as the top goalscorer in the World Cup.
Mbappe is hot on Messi’s heels
Despite a 130-minute weather delay in the first and second half of France’s group stage clash against Iraq, Kylian Mbappe scored two goals to ensure the team’s easy victory. Ousmane Dembele then added the third France beat Iraq 3-0.
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Thanks to inclement weather and thunderstorms in Philadelphia, the second half of the game started two hours later than originally scheduled. Mbappe scored one goal in each half and remains close on Messi’s heels in the list of top goalscorers at the World Cup.
But there was little to stop Mbappe from scoring twice, including a first-half score from outside the box, which netted the winner. With his brace on Monday, Mbappe now has 16 World Cup goals, just two short of Messi’s record of 18.
This was Mbappe’s sixth World Cup. Mbappe has now scored 12 goals in his last 12 matches for France.
Norway defeated Senegal
On a day when Messi and Mbappe scored two goals each, how could Erling Haaland be left behind? The Manchester City striker scored twice for Norway in a 3-2 win over Senegal. With the brace, Norway secured their place in the round of 32, as did Argentina and France.
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Also read | How Norway fans took over the FIFA World Cup with Viking Row and Vikingblood songs
Haaland scored his third goal against Senegal in first-half stoppage time when keeper Mendy lost control of the ball and his shot hit the post.
Haaland has now scored 24 goals in his last 12 internationals – scoring at least once in each match – and 59 goals in 52 internationals. In the race for the Golden Boot, he is one behind Argentina’s Messi and second with France’s Mbappe.