Lionel Messi made history on Monday, June 22, by scoring his 17th goal in a World Cup.
This makes him the top scorer in men’s World Cup history, breaking the record previously held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose.
The moment came in the 38th minute of the round of 16 match between Argentina and Austria at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. After failing to convert an earlier penalty that would have made him the record holder, the ever-resilient Messi showed his brilliance once again by firing past Alex Schlager to put Argentina up 1-0.
Not only was it an important goal for the Argentine team, but it was also a notable achievement for the 38-year-old icon.
With this, Messi has become the third player in World Cup history to score in six consecutive games. Previously, the list included legendary players such as the Frenchman Just Fontaine (1958) and the Brazilian Jairzinho (1970).
In addition to the goal, he increased his international goal total to 121 goals in 201 appearances, and Austria is now the 42nd country in which he has scored.
The start of the match was nervy for Messi as his seventh minute penalty was saved by Schlager as Argentina won a penalty kick. He tied Klose with 16 goals, and many fans wondered if he wouldn’t achieve his goal.
However, Messi proved to be one of the best footballers as always and scored the goal. His spectacular touch helped Lautaro MartÃnez score the goal.
