Dallas, MINA – Lionel Messi once again made FIFA World Cup history by becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, as Argentina defeated Austria 2-0 at Dallas Stadium on Monday.
After missing a penalty kick, Messi beat Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager late in the first half with a direct left-footed shot for his 17th World Cup goal, surpassing former Germany striker Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
The Argentina captain capped his record-breaking performance with the winning goal for the defending champions in extra time. Messi has now scored 18 World Cup goals in his career, the most of any tournament, and is likely to add more.
Messi, who turns 39 on Wednesday, June 24th, also leads the World Cup scoring charts with five goals after his stunning hat trick in the opening match against Algeria.
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Klose held the World Cup top scorer title for 12 years, scoring in every final between 2002 and 2014.
Speaking before the tournament and anticipating Messi breaking his record, Klose told FIFA: “Messi is just Messi. I’ve always admired the way he solves problems and the way he conducts himself as a person, even on the pitch.”
“I’ve always been a fan of Messi, and now that he’s standing in front of me, I have to say: that’s not bad either!” he said.
Messi has played in six World Cups, a joint-record. []
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