Messi Overtakes Klose and Marta as All-Time World Cup Top Scorer

Argentina beat Austria 2-0 at the FIFA World Cup on Monday, and Lionel Messi used the match to break a record nobody in the tournament’s century-long history had touched. The 38-year-old’s brace took him to 18 career World Cup goals, surpassing Miroslav Klose’s men’s mark of 16 and Marta’s overall mark of 17 in a single evening. Kylian Mbappé answered with a brace of his own as France beat Iraq 3-0 in Philadelphia, climbing to 16 World Cup goals and earning his 100th cap for France on the same night. Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway edged Senegal 3-2 to seal a knockout-stage place. Algeria closed the day with a 2-1 comeback over Jordan, their first such recovery in World Cup history.

Messi at 38 Takes the All-Time World Cup Scoring Crown

Lionel Messi moved to the top of the World Cup scoring chart at Dallas Stadium on Monday, his 17th World Cup goal arriving in the 38th minute of Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria to pass Klose’s long-standing men’s record of 16. His 18th came deep in stoppage time, edging him past Marta, who set the women’s mark of 17 across five tournaments between 2003 and 2019. With those two strikes, Messi became the outright top scorer across the men’s and women’s World Cup records. Argentina booked a knockout-round place in Group J, per Messi’s brace against Austria and the records he broke.

At 38 years and 364 days, Messi is the third-oldest man to score in a World Cup, behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla and Portugal’s Pepê. He has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches, a run matched only by Just Fontaine in 1958 and Jairzinho in 1970. The streak began against Poland at the 2022 tournament.

The match was not without its awkward note for Messi. He missed a penalty before his opening goal, the first time he has scored in a competitive Argentina match in which he also failed to convert from the spot. Of his 18 World Cup goals, nine have been assisted, each by a different teammate. Facundo Medina registered his first Argentina assist on the strike that broke Klose’s record.

Klose and Marta’s Marks Fall on the Same Night

The two records Messi moved past sit at the intersection of two eras and two halves of the World Cup record book. Klose built his 16 men’s goals across Germany’s 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 campaigns, a tally no man had matched until Monday. Marta set her 17-goal women’s standard for Brazil across five tournaments, scoring from 2003 to 2019. Messi has reached 18 in six tournaments, a run that began against Serbia and Montenegro on June 16, 2006, exactly 20 years before his hat-trick against Algeria this month. The full stack of records set across the day’s four matches is laid out in the full list of records from June 22 World Cup matches.

Top scorers in men’s FIFA World Cup history

Marta holds 17 goals in Women’s World Cup history, the previous overall record.

Messi has now scored 12 World Cup goals after turning 35, a single-age tally that exceeds the entire World Cup career hauls of Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona, Rivaldo, Neymar and Thierry Henry. He has scored against 42 different nations, with Austria becoming the 42nd. Seven of Argentina’s last eight World Cup goals, dating back to 2022, have been his.

Mbappé’s 16th Goal and His 100th Cap

Kylian Mbappé, the man chasing Messi, produced his own night in Philadelphia. The France captain scored twice in a 3-0 win over Iraq, reaching 16 World Cup goals and joining Klose as the second-most prolific men’s scorer in tournament history. Both goals came in either half, with the match paused for two hours and 10 minutes at halftime due to thunderstorms. Mbappé became the fourth man to score two or more goals in three or more consecutive World Cup appearances, alongside Sándor Kocsis in 1954, Guillermo Stabile in 1930 and Messi in 2022-26. His sixth multi-goal World Cup match is itself a record, per Mbappé’s 100th cap and France’s win over Iraq.

The Iraq match was also Mbappé’s 100th cap for France. At 27 years and 184 days, he is the youngest man to reach the century mark for France and the fourth-youngest European man overall to do so. He is the 10th man to make 100 appearances for any men’s national team.

Two of Mbappé’s last three World Cup goals have come from outside the penalty area, a rate far higher than the one-in-13 he managed across his first 13 World Cup goals. Ousmane Dembélé scored his first major-tournament goal in his 20th such appearance, ending a wait that spanned 13 World Cup and seven European Championship matches.

Michael Olise set up Mbappé’s opener, becoming the first Frenchman to record two assists in a World Cup match since Antoine Griezmann against England in the 2022 quarter-final. Olise’s three assists at this tournament match Sweden’s Alexander Isak for the most at the 2026 World Cup. France has now reached the knockout stage for a fourth straight World Cup, the longest such streak in team history. The team has also won each of its opening two matches at a World Cup for the fourth straight tournament, having done so in only one of its 13 previous appearances.

Haaland and Norway Punch a Knockout Ticket

Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway edged Senegal 3-2 at MetLife Stadium to seal their place in the knockout rounds. The brace, his second in as many games, took his World Cup tally to four, the most by any Norwegian in the tournament’s history. He joins Harry Kane in 2018 as the only men in the last 50 years to score multiple goals in each of their first two World Cup matches, per Norway’s 3-2 win over Senegal at MetLife Stadium.

Haaland’s scoring streak for Norway now stands at 12 straight competitive matches, with 18 goals across his last 21 such appearances. Norway have won 16 straight matches when Haaland scores in all competitions, a run in which he has scored 30 goals. They have outscored opponents 53-9 across his last 12 competitive appearances. The 3-2 win made Norway the first team in their history to reach the knockout stages of consecutive World Cups after 1998.

June 22 results in order

1. Argentina 2, Austria 0 at Dallas Stadium. Messi scored twice to take his World Cup tally to 18.
2. France 3, Iraq 0 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Mbappé scored twice, with Olise setting up both goals.
3. Norway 3, Senegal 2 at MetLife Stadium. Haaland’s second consecutive brace sealed a knockout-stage place.
4. Algeria 2, Jordan 1 in the late match. Algeria recovered from a goal down to win for the first time in World Cup history.

Senegal stay alive mathematically, but they must beat Iraq and hope other results fall their way. Ismaila Sarr scored twice for Senegal, becoming the first Senegalese player to score at two different World Cups. Norway next face France in Boston on Friday, with top spot in Group I on the line. Haaland has now scored 59 goals in 52 international matches. The day’s standout records, however, ran across all four games.

Algeria’s First Comeback and Mahrez’s Quiet Marker

Algeria completed the day with a 2-1 comeback over Jordan, their first such recovery in World Cup history. Riyad Mahrez set up the equaliser at 35 years and 121 days, becoming the oldest Algerian player with a goal contribution in a World Cup match.

Algeria’s previous record in matches where they conceded first stood at zero wins, two draws and seven losses. They have now won both of their FIFA World Cup meetings against AFC opposition, having beaten South Korea 4-2 in the 2014 group stage. The result, combined with Argentina’s win over Austria, confirmed Argentina’s place in the last 32. The day’s standout numbers, taken together, add up to a record-setting matchday.

Day’s standout numbers

• 18 career World Cup goals for Messi, one ahead of Klose and one ahead of Marta.
• 16 career World Cup goals for Mbappé, level with Klose with the 2026 tournament still to play.
• 100 France caps for Mbappé at 27 years and 184 days, the youngest Frenchman to reach the mark.
• 4 World Cup goals for Haaland in two matches, the most by any Norwegian in the tournament’s history.
• 1 World Cup comeback win for Algeria, ending a 0W 2D 7L run when conceding first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many World Cup goals has Messi scored in total?

Messi has scored 18 career FIFA World Cup goals across six tournaments from 2006 to 2026, the all-time record across men’s and women’s World Cups.

Whose records did Messi break on June 22, 2026?

Messi surpassed Miroslav Klose’s men’s record of 16 World Cup goals and Marta’s overall record of 17 in the Women’s World Cup on the same evening.

Who is second on the all-time men’s World Cup scoring list?

Miroslav Klose and Kylian Mbappé are tied on 16 career World Cup goals, behind Messi’s 18.

How old was Mbappé when he won his 100th France cap?

Mbappé was 27 years and 184 days old on his 100th appearance for France, the youngest Frenchman and the fourth-youngest European man to reach that mark.

What is Haaland’s World Cup record at this tournament?

Haaland has scored four goals across Norway’s first two matches at the 2026 World Cup, including braces against Iraq and Senegal, the most by any Norwegian in World Cup history.