June 22 - Lionel Messi recorded two goals as Argentina defeated Austria 2-0 in Group J on Monday, becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history. His double took him past Brazilian forward Marta's combined men's and women's total and extended a personal scoring streak to six World Cup matches in a row.
The first goal originated from a fluent Argentina team move in Dallas. Messi initiated the attack and then arrived unmarked inside the penalty area to connect with Facundo Medina's low cross, sweeping a first-time finish into the bottom corner. He later added a second in stoppage time, reacting quickest in the box to finish and seal the win.
Prior to his opening strike, Messi failed to convert a penalty after Lautaro Martinez was fouled, sending the spot-kick wide. The two goals also raised Messi's scoring total to five in this year's tournament.
The milestone sparked jubilant scenes among Argentina supporters at the stadium in Dallas, with chants of Messi's name filling the stands. The achievement arrives as the captain approaches his 39th birthday later this week, and follows Argentina's opening 3-0 victory over Algeria, leaving Lionel Scaloni's side with a perfect start to their title defence.
By securing the win, Argentina guaranteed advancement to the knockout stage with a match to spare in Group J. The result maintained the team's unbeaten record in the tournament so far and cemented Messi's new outright benchmark for combined World Cup scoring, having previously equalled Marta's total of 17 goals.
The match combined individual accomplishment and team progress: Messi set a new scoring record while Argentina ensured its place in the next round of the competition.