Guinness recognises multiple Messi records

Argentina secured a spot in the World Cup Round of 32 following a 2-0 victory over Austria in their Group J encounter on Monday, driven by two goals from Lionel Messi. The victory gives the defending champions peace of mind, allowing them to qualify with one group match remaining.

The Argentine captain netted late in the first half in Texas with a left-footed finish after a neat build-up sequence, before adding a second goal later in the match. This performance elevated his career World Cup tally to 18 goals, surpassing the previous record of 16 goals held by German icon Miroslav Klose. The forward previously equalled that benchmark by scoring a hat-trick against Algeria in the opening match of the tournament. Striker Julian Alvarez praised the virtuoso display, noting that his teammate remains the best player in football history.

The milestone match allowed the 39-year-old forward to claim four distinct all-time records, later highlighted by Guinness World Records on social media. Alongside his 18 tournament goals, he now holds the records for the most World Cup matches played at 28, the most individual match victories at 18, and the highest number of minutes played in tournament history at 2,489.

The historic night included early drama when Argentina received a penalty in the ninth minute following a video assistant referee intervention after two Austrian defenders brought down Lautaro Martinez inside the penalty area. The veteran forward uncharacteristically dragged the spot-kick wide of the target, repeating previous tournament penalty misses experienced during the 2018 and 2022 campaigns. Despite the early error, the subsequent brace ensured comfortable progress for the holders.

-NDTV