ARLINGTON, Texas — Lionel Messi strengthened his claim as the greatest player in World Cup history after scoring twice to send defending champion Argentina into the Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday night (Tuesday in the Philippines), while also becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
The Argentine superstar shrugged off an early penalty miss and responded with a clinical brace that secured Argentina’s second win of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, extending his remarkable scoring streak to six consecutive World Cup matches and raising his career World Cup tally to a record 18 goals.
Messi’s heroics ensured Argentina’s progression to the knockout stage as the South Americans continued their bid to successfully defend the title they won in Qatar four years ago.
Austria frustrated Argentina for much of the match and nearly reached halftime level, thanks largely to a disciplined defensive effort marshaled by veteran defender David Alaba.
But Messi eventually broke the resistance late in the opening half.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner initiated the attacking move before arriving inside the box to meet Facundo Medina’s low cross, firing a first-time shot past the Austrian goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead.
Austria remained organized after the break and limited Argentina’s chances, but Messi continued to pose the biggest threat whenever he touched the ball.
His second goal came deep into stoppage time when he reacted quickest during a goalmouth scramble, forcing the ball over the line to seal the victory and complete his brace.
The win guaranteed Argentina a place in the last 16, while Austria remained alive in the qualification race heading into its decisive final group-stage match.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe moved closer to Messi in the World Cup scoring charts after leading France to a dominant 3-0 victory over Iraq to also secure a knockout-round berth.
The Real Madrid forward struck in the 14th and 54th minutes to raise his World Cup goal tally to 16, tying German legend Miroslav Klose for second place on the all-time scoring list.
Ousmane Dembele added another goal from a Michael Olise assist as France completed the rout in a match that was delayed for several hours because of rain.
Elsewhere, Erling Haaland delivered a two-goal performance to power Norway past Senegal, 3-2, while Algeria edged Jordan, 2-1, to keep its World Cup campaign on track./PN
