Shillong, June 23: For much of Monday night, the world was not really watching Argentina versus Austria. It was watching Lionel Messi.
The opponent almost seemed incidental. Whether it was Austria or any other team mattered little. Millions tuned in with just one expectation, to witness the moment Messi etched his name into FIFA World Cup history as the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer.
The chance appeared almost immediately. Just nine minutes into the match, Argentina were awarded a penalty and the stadium collectively held its breath. It seemed the perfect script for football’s greatest showman. But the fairytale moment was delayed as Messi failed to convert from the spot, leaving fans wondering whether history would have to wait another day.
Yet the anticipation never faded.
In the 38th minute, the moment finally arrived. Receiving the ball inside the penalty area from Facundo Medina, Messi calmly fired home to score his 17th FIFA World Cup goal, surpassing Germany’s Miroslav Klose and becoming the highest goalscorer in the history of the men’s World Cup.
As celebrations erupted around Dallas Stadium and across the footballing world, Messi was not done.
Deep into stoppage time, in the 90+5th minute, the Argentina captain struck again. Reacting quickly after Julian Alvarez’s effort was saved, he netted his second goal of the night and his 18th overall at the World Cup. The goal sealed a 2-0 victory over Austria and further extended the record he had just claimed.
For Messi, who turns 39 on Wednesday, the achievement adds yet another chapter to a career already overflowing with records and trophies.
However, Messi emphasised the importance of the result rather than his individual achievement. “To be honest, I’m really happy about the win, especially as it’s such a crucial victory, hard-fought and well-earned. This is the World Cup; it was a very evenly matched and intense match. We’re happy to have picked up six points and already qualified,” Messi was quoted as saying by FIFA.
More remarkably, his World Cup story is still being written. Argentina have already qualified for the Round of 32, and with the defending champions expected to make a deep run in the tournament, nobody can say where Messi’s final tally will stop.
