ARLINGTON: Argentina captain Lionel Messi etched his name deeper into football history on Monday by becoming the outright leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history.
The 39-year-old reached the milestone during Argentina’s Group L clash against Austria, netting his 17th World Cup goal to move ahead of Germany legend Miroslav Klose, who had held the record with 16 goals.
Messi had drawn level with Klose last week when he scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria, but he now stands alone at the summit of the all-time scoring charts.
Most goals in FIFA World Cup history
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 17*
- Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16
- Ronaldo (Brazil) – 15
- Kylian Mbappe (France) – 14*
- Gerd Müller (West Germany) – 14
- Just Fontaine (France) – 13
Interestingly, the Argentine superstar had earlier missed a golden opportunity to claim the record when he failed to convert a penalty.
The reigning champions were awarded a spot-kick following a VAR review after Lautaro Martinez was brought down inside the area by Alexander Schlager and Stefan Posch.
Messi stepped up to take the penalty, but his effort drifted wide of the right-hand post, leaving the veteran forward with his head in his hands.
However, the disappointment proved short-lived. Messi eventually found the breakthrough in the 38th minute, sending Argentina supporters into celebration as he surpassed Klose to become the most prolific scorer in the history of the men’s FIFA World Cup.
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