Lionel Messi made history on Monday 22 June when he scored his 17th World Cup goal.
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 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 once again showed his brilliance by firing past Alex Schlager to put Argentina 1-0 up.
Not only was it an important goal for the Argentine team, but it was also a remarkable 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, legendary players such as France’s Just Fontaine (1958) and Brazil’s Jairzinho (1970) were named in the list.
In addition to the goal, it took his international goal tally to 121 goals in 201 games and now Austria is the 42nd country he has scored for.
The start of the match was nervy for Messi as his penalty kick in the seventh minute was saved by Schlager as Argentina won a penalty shootout. That made him equal to Klose on 16 goals, and many supporters wondered if he would not reach his goal.
However, Messi, as always, proved to be one of the best footballers and scored the goal. His spectacular touch helped Lautaro Martinez score the goal.
