Matchday 12 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 bore witness to Lionel Messi setting a new record, for his 18th World Cup goal and a 2-0 win.
Match Day 12 will go down as one of the most memorable days in World Cup history. Lionel Messi, 38, recorded his 17th and 18th career World Cup goals in a 2–0 victory over Austria at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, overtaking Germany’s Miroslav Klose to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history — men’s or women’s. NBC News
Messi’s first attempt was blocked, but he buried the rebound into the right corner of the net. That’s five goals in two games for the Argentine captain at this World Cup. The crowd of an estimated 100,000 Argentina fans in North Texas erupted.
