Winner of over 45 titles in his career and eight-time Ballon d'Or recipient, Lionel Messi has long since become a football legend. Despite being 39 years old, the Argentinian continues to write one of the most beautiful chapters in the history of world football.

Facing Austria in the second round of Group J of the 2026 World Cup, Argentina was able to rely on its captain to open the scoring in the 38th minute of a hard-fought match.

With this goal, the Argentine star scored his 17th World Cup goal and became the competition's all-time leading scorer, surpassing former German international Miroslav Klose, who previously held the record with 16 goals.

In stoppage time, the Argentinian left-footer struck again, scoring his second goal of the match and bringing his total to 18 goals in the World Cup.

This new record adds to an already exceptional list of achievements for the Argentinian world champion, who continues to rack up feats in the Albiceleste jersey. Match after match, Messi confirms his status as a living legend and pushes the boundaries of his immense career even further.

Things hadn't started perfectly for La Pulga in this match against a tenacious Austrian team. In the 10th minute, he had the opportunity to give his team the lead from the penalty spot, but his shot missed the target. True to form, Messi didn't let it get him down and finally showcased his genius before halftime, finding the net in the 38th minute.

With his 17th and 18th goals in World Cup history, Lionel Messi further cements his name in football legend and confirms, once again, that he remains the greatest player of all time.