Messi, at 38, isolates himself in the historic World Cup artillery with 18 goals

Lionel Messi never stops writing history. At 38 years old, Argentina's number 10 scored two goals in the victory over Austria in the 2026 World Cup and became the top scorer in the tournament's history, with 18 goals, surpassing Miroslav Klose's record (16). The match, valid for the group stage, ended in a 3-0 Argentine victory.

Messi opened the scoring in the 25th minute and expanded in the second half, but also wasted a penalty at the beginning of the game. With the result, Argentina guaranteed early qualification for the round of 16. Messi's achievement is not just a personal milestone: he now leads the 2026 World Cup's singles scorer, with five goals so far.

The record gains even more weight due to the context. At 38, the age at which most strikers have retired or played in minor leagues, Messi continues to set the pace at the highest level. Overcoming Klose, who built his brand on longevity and efficiency, requires absurd consistency.

Every goal in this tournament carries the weight of a career that already has eight Ballon d'Ors and a World Cup. The missed penalty, however, showed that not even he is immune to the pressure of the spotlight. The brand puts Messi on a level that goes beyond statistics.

No other player in World Cup history has combined such longevity with high-level offensive production. Klose built his record efficiently, but Messi did so by being the absolute protagonist of his team in each edition. The missed penalty, although unusual for such a precise striker, does not erase the achievement — on the contrary, it humanizes the record.

In an interview after the match, Messi was modest. "The most important thing is the team's victory and classification. Records come naturally when you play with this group.

Missing the penalty upset me, but the team responded well", said the star, who avoided individual protagonism. " The advantage in the classification allows Scaloni to plan the final stretch intelligently. The tendency is for Messi to be spared against Serbia in the last round, preserving his physique for the knockout stage.

With 18 goals, the Argentine already has the absolute record, but his ambition never stops. Argentina is looking for a second championship, and Messi, even at 38, is the central piece of that gear. The 3-0 victory also highlighted Argentina's defensive solidity, which did not concede goals and controlled the game after opening the scoring.

Scaloni's team showed maturity to manage the result, even with Messi missing a penalty. Early classification gives room to test tactical variants without compromising competitiveness. What lies ahead: Argentina will now face Serbia in the final round of the group stage.

With his place secured, Messi must be spared to preserve his physique for the knockout stage. The record of 18 goals, however, already places the Argentine at a legendary level that seemed unattainable. It remains to be seen how far he can go. Read at Trivela