Lionel Messi delivered another historic performance as Argentina defeated Austria 2-0 in their Group J clash, but the World Cup legend's latest milestone came with an unwanted twist.
The Argentine captain scored both goals in the victory to become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history. However, he also set an unfortunate tournament record after missing a penalty during the match.
Messi opened the scoring in the 39th minute before adding his second goal deep into stoppage time to seal Argentina's victory. The brace took his World Cup tally to 18 goals in 28 appearances across six editions of football's biggest tournament.
His World Cup scoring record is spread across two decades of international football. He scored once in Germany 2006, failed to find the net in South Africa 2010, struck four times in Brazil 2014, scored once in Russia 2018, netted seven goals during Argentina's triumphant campaign in Qatar 2022 and has already added five goals at the 2026 tournament.
Yet despite another memorable night in an Argentina shirt, Messi also found himself making history for a less desirable reason.
According to reports, the 38-year-old stepped up to take his seventh World Cup penalty, more than any player in tournament history. The effort was saved, making it his third missed penalty at the World Cup — also the highest total ever recorded by a player.
Before Messi's latest miss, Ghana star Asamoah Gyaan held the record with two missed penalties in World Cup matches.
The mixed night highlighted the extraordinary longevity of the Argentine superstar, who continues to rewrite football history while adding another chapter to his remarkable World Cup career.