Lionel Messi scripts another World Cup history, overtakes Miroslav Klose for most match victories
The Times Of India June 23, 2026 07:39 AM
In Argentina's commanding 2-0 group-stage triumph over Austria on Monday, Lionel Messi did not just fire his country into the Round of 32 but he officially became the most successful player in the history of the FIFA World Cup .
By securing the win under the lights at the Dallas Stadium, Messi officially clinched his 18th individual match victory in FIFA World Cup history . The historic milestone breaks his tie at the summit of global football, pushing him past the previous record of 17 individual wins held by Germany’s legendary clinical striker Miroslav Klose .
While Klose gathered his 17 wins across 24 games, Messi’s historic winning tally has been a masterclass in ultimate longevity, built over an unprecedented 28 match appearances across six different tournament editions from 2006 to 2026.
To sweeten the record-breaking night, the Argentine captain also conquered the tournament's goalscoring charts. Messi brushed off an early ninth-minute penalty miss to blast home two brilliant goals, taking his total to an unprecedented 18 career World Cup goals to also surpass Klose's long-standing men's scoring record of 16 goals.
Austria, marshaled by veteran defender David Alaba, threw everything at the South American heavyweights. However, Messi broke the deadlock in the 38th minute, gracefully sliding home a precise first-time finish from Facundo Medina's low cross. He then sealed the historic three points deep into second-half injury time, firing home a rebound past goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
The clinical victory leaves Argentina comfortably at the top of Group J with a flawless record. With a spot in the knockout rounds safely secured with a match to spare, the evergreen number 10 will have plenty of opportunities to extend his historic winning tally even further.
Most individual match wins in World Cup history:
