Lionel Messi struck twice in Dallas as Argentina beat Austria 2-0, securing progression from Group J and taking control of top spot, while also becoming the highest scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals from 28 tournament appearances.

The record fell late in the first half when Messi finished calmly after earlier missing a penalty, then the captain added a second deep into stoppage time, with the champions now waiting to discover whether Jordan can stop Algeria and delay confirmation of first place.

Messi’s brace moved the Argentina forward two goals clear of Miroslav Klose in the all-time World Cup charts and also placed Messi at the front of the 2026 Golden Boot race on five goals, following an 11th Argentina hat-trick in the 3-0 victory over Algeria in MD1.

Among active players, Kylian Mbappe is closest to Messi on 14 World Cup goals and is set to appear for France against Iraq later on Monday, keeping their ongoing scoring rivalry alive as one of the major talking points across the remainder of the tournament.

The performance in Dallas added more history for the eight-time Ballon dOr winner, who became only the third player to score in six successive World Cup matches, matching Frances Just Fontaine from 1958 and Brazils Jairzinho from 1970 while also scoring for Argentina after missing a penalty in the same competitive game for the first time.

Messi has now taken seven World Cup penalties and missed three, leading both lists in tournament history, yet the Argentina star still shaped the contest with seven attempts at goal, more than double that of any other player on the pitch.

Early on, Messi had a golden chance to break the record when Lautaro Martinez went down under pressure from Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch, with referee Amin Omar first waving play on before awarding a ninth-minute penalty following a VAR review, only for Messi to drag the kick wide of Alexander Schlagers left post.

Argentina kept Austria pinned back after that miss, with Schlager and captain David Alaba combining to block Messi from close range following slick link-up with Martinez, while the Inter Miami forward also had another effort repelled before the breakthrough finally arrived in the 38th minute.

Messi World Cup brace and key match moments

The move for the opener started with Messi and Thiago Almada, before Facundo Medina crossed from the left, Almada deceived the defence with a clever dummy and Messi met the ball first time with a trademark left-foot strike into the bottom corner from just inside the penalty area.

The second half brought more balance without many clear chances, though Emiliano Martinez had to push away a free-kick from Marcel Sabitzer, who became the fourth Austria player to reach 100 caps, while Michael Gregoritsch headed wide from Austria’s best opening as Lionel Scaloni’s team largely controlled the tempo.

Messi settled the result in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time when substitute Julian Alvarez forced a scramble, Schlager saved the initial effort, Enzo Fernandez collected the loose ball and picked out Messi, who finished low at the second attempt to close out the contest and underline Argentina’s dominance.

Messi World Cup impact on Group J picture

Argentina’s win confirmed a place in the knockout stage and left the side close to securing first position in Group J, which will be guaranteed with one match to spare if Jordan do not beat Algeria, setting up a likely last-32 meeting with the Group H runners-up in Miami on July 3 and, as it stands, avoiding Spain.

Austria stayed second despite Monday’s defeat and now face a decisive MD3 meeting with Algeria to determine qualification, while Argentina’s defensive numbers also stand out after preventing Algeria from registering a shot on target in MD1 and restricting Austria to one effort on goal, Sabitzer’s speculative set-piece.

Since losing to Saudi Arabia in their opening group match at the 2022 tournament, Argentina have stayed unbeaten in eight World Cup fixtures, collecting six wins and two draws, and now combine a strong defensive record with Messi’s prolific form as Group J leaders move deeper into the knockout phase.