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Argentina's Lionel Messi shoots at goal as Austria's Kevin Danso, Nicolas Seiwald, David Alaba, Konrad Laimer and Stefan Posch defend during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J match between Argentina and Austria at Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas, US, on 22 June 2026. Photo: Reuters
Lionel Messi has become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, with Lionel Messi's 18 World Cup goals confirmed after he scored Argentina’s opening goal in their Group J match against Austria across six tournaments.
The Argentine captain moved to the top of the
chart on Monday when he calmly finished after 38 minutes in his side’s second
group game, sparking huge celebrations at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
He added another deep into stoppage time to become the leading scorer in both men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups, surpassing Brazilian great Marta, who has 17 goals in FIFA Women’s World Cups.
Messi opened his World Cup account in 2006 against Serbia before adding five more goals against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, and Nigeria in the 2014 and 2018 editions. However, it was at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar that he enjoyed his most prolific campaign, scoring seven goals against Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Australia, the Netherlands, Croatia and France.
The Argentine superstar has continued his
scoring form in the 2026 tournament. He struck a hat-trick against Algeria for
his 14th, 15th and 16th World Cup goals before adding another two against
Austria to reach 18.
Widely regarded as one of football's greatest
players, Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 and remains a key
figure for the reigning champions in their quest to retain the title in 2026.