Messi becomes leading scorer in World Cup history with 17th goal [Top 5] (opens original article in a new tab)

Lionel Messi became the top scorer in World Cup history with 17 goals, surpassing Miroslav Klose's previous record of 16 goals. He scored against Austria in the 2026 World Cup, adding to his earlier hat-trick against Algeria. Messi has 121 goals in 201 games for Argentina across his six World Cup appearances.

• Lionel Messi scored his 17th World Cup goal against Austria, becoming the all-time leading scorer
• Messi equalled Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals earlier in the tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria
• Messi's 121 goals in 201 games for Argentina include his sixth World Cup participation