Lionel Messi Breaks Klose’s Record, Becomes All-Time FIFA World Cup Top Scorer With 18 Goals

Lionel Messi has reached a historic milestone in the FIFA World Cup. The Argentinian star is now leading the goalscoring charts at the FIFA Men's World Cup, breaking Miroslav Klose's 12-year record by scoring his 18th goal on Monday, June 22.

The former Barcelona star's 38th-minute strike against Austria is also his 4th goal of the FIFA World Cup 2026. He also extended his record for most FIFA World Cup appearances in his 28th match.

Lionel Messi played down the significance of individual milestones despite edging closer to footballing history. Reflecting on the journey at the FIFA World Cup, LM10 said, "It's an honor being up there for what it means, being alongside Klose and [Brazil's] Ronaldo, who is there also. But it doesn't mean anything. [Kylian] Mbappé is there, too. He scored twice [on Tuesday]. At the end of the day, they are stats and nothing more."

Messi's World Cup journey began on June 16, 2006, when, as an 18-year-old, he scored his first goal in the tournament with a second-half strike against Serbia and Montenegro. Two decades on, he continues to redefine longevity and excellence, becoming the first player to appear in six editions of the men's FIFA World Cup while also climbing the all-time scoring charts.

His latest goal has taken his international tally to 120 for Argentina, placing him second on the all-time list behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who leads with 143 goals.

Messi Misses 3rd World Cup Penalty

The Argentinian star missed a golden opportunity in the 9th minute from the spot, which could have seen the Inter Miami star reach the milestone earlier. Taking the spot kick in the ninth minute after Lautaro Martinez was brought down in the penalty box, Messi fired his shot wide to the right side of the goal.

Interestingly, it was only the third penalty miss for Messi out of the 6 World Cup spot kicks taken by him.