Lionel Messi's historic goals bring Argentina closer to World Cup repeat bid

ARLINGTON, Texas - Argentina is chasing the chance to become the first team in 64 years to win back‑to‑back World Cup titles - but the road toward that feat was never going to be free of the drama that so often trails its star, Lionel Messi.

On Monday, the Argentine captain made history by becoming the all‑time leading scorer in World Cup tournaments and guiding Argentina to a 2-0 win over Austria at Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium).

His left‑footed strike in the 39th minute - the 17th World Cup goal of his career - pushed him past Germany's Miroslav Klose and sent Argentina into the next round with its title defense very much alive.

Messi scored again in stoppage time (90+4) to seal his team's victory.

Messi reached glory, but only after enduring the sting of wasting his first chance to etch his name into history.

Messi had a golden opportunity in the 7th minute, when referee Amin Omar awarded Argentina a penalty after a video assistant referee (VAR) that stretched for more than two minutes.

The controversy began when Lautaro Martínez was knocked down in the box by two Austrian defenders. Omar initially waved play on, but after reviewing the sequence, he reversed his decision and pointed to the penalty spot.

Messi's attempt drifted wide of the goalkeeper's left post.

Then came the goal - the one Messi punctuated by crossing himself, lifting his eyes toward the roof of Dallas Stadium, and raising both index fingers to the sky. The eruption of the 70,649 fans in attendance framed the moment into history.

Messi's moment coincided with the 40th anniversary of Diego Armando Maradona's masterpiece at Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Azteca) - the day he delivered the "Hand of God" and the slaloming run that left seven English players strewn across the pitch to secure Argentina's iconic win.

Messi was coming off a hat trick in Argentina's 2026 World Cup debut Tuesday against Algeria.

With Monday's victory, Argentina kept its bid to become the first team since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 to win consecutive World Cups firmly on track.

Argentina's coach, Lionel Scaloni, believes this team may be even stronger than the one that lifted the trophy in Qatar in 2022, a statement that makes the idea of a repeat feel far from far‑fetched.

"I think the team is in a good moment," Scaloni said, who kept the core of his champions intact while adding new pieces, and the continuity shows, as 17 of the 26 players on this roster were part of the 2022 title run.

"Even though three and a half years have passed since that World Cup, the players haven't shown any signs of slowing down."

One of the Argentine players most moved by Messi's historic performance was Enzo Fernández, who has developed a uniquely close relationship with the national team captain.

When Fernández was 16, he wrote a letter to Messi urging him to reconsider his decision to retire from the national team after Argentina lost the 2016 Copa América final to Chile, with Messi missing a penalty kick.

Ten years later, now sharing a World Cup with the player he once admired from afar, Fernández said he's ready to write something far more meaningful than a letter.

"Today, not even all the books I could write would be enough to describe everything I've learned from Messi and all the moments we've shared," Fernández said.

"I would write something much more emotional because I've lived so many moments with him and learned so much by his side. He's a great person, an extraordinary player - someone who no longer needs words to be defined."

Scaloni, 48 and the third‑youngest coach at this World Cup, suggested that Argentina's ceiling might be higher now than it was in Qatar.

That's an ominous message for the rest of the field. Argentina arrived in 2026 as the undefeated champion of the 2024 Copa América and a team that has lost only three of its last 22 official matches.

"Even if it sounds hard to believe, I do think there's room to improve - you can always be better," Scaloni said.

That is just plain scary.

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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 1:29 PM.