Messi becomes World Cup’s all-time top scorer with 17 goals | OneFootball

Lionel Messi moved clear as the World Cup’s all-time top scorer with his 17th goal, overtaking Miroslav Klose, as Argentina faced Austria. He struck before half-time after earlier missing a penalty, having opened the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada with a hat-trick against Algeria.

According to Superdeporte, the milestone arrived 40 years after Diego Maradona’s Goal of the Century and Hand of God against England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. A full AT&T Stadium in Dallas provided the stage.

Before 10 minutes, seeking his fourth goal of the tournament in his sixth World Cup, a clear foul on Lautaro Martínez was missed by referee Amin Mohamed then awarded after VAR intervention. Messi’s run-up looked hesitant and, although he did not have to make a save, goalkeeper Schlager read it and the kick went off target.

It was his third consecutive World Cup penalty miss, after failures against Iceland in 2018 and Poland in 2022. It did not unsettle him.

Around the half-hour David Alaba denied him, but the breakthrough followed. Facundo Medina pulled the ball back from the left, Thiago Almada let it run and Messi swept in with his left to set the outright record.

Source: Superdeporte