Messi makes World Cup history — the internet reacts
Lionel Messi of Argentina scored his 17th and 18th World Cup goals, against Austria — days before his 39th birthday.
Days before his 39th birthday, legendary striker Lionel Messi gave Argentina fans an unbeatable gift — by becoming the top goalscorer in World Cup history.
Just one goal in Argentina's game against Austria would have put Messi on top of the all-time goalscorer list, at 17 goals. Messi managed two, scoring his second in the last minute of added-on stoppage time.
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Google was ready for the historic moment. Fans noted that searches for "Messi" produced a shower of virtual confetti from the search giant.
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Messi's 18th World Cup goal puts him two ahead of Miroslav Klose, a German player whose last World Cup was in 2014. That's how long we've been waiting for a new goal record.
One fan in the stadium, however, seems to have been preparing for this moment since 1926.
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During the game, Messi also missed a penalty kick — and it wasn't his first time. The Argentine striker hit another record when he became the first player to miss a penalty in three separate World Cups. But some fans argued Messi didn't want to claim the record via a penalty — and if anything, the miss made him more of a social media legend ...
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As did his height. (Messi is 5 ft. 7 in. tall).
Messi is the best short person of all time
— JP Acosta (@acosta32jp.bsky.social) June 22, 2026 at 12:02 PM
Some fans wryly noted Messi has scored almost exactly the same goal multiple times in his club career.
Meanwhile, at least one Austrian was downhearted about his sartorial choices.
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Still, whether or not he is the GOAT, Messi needs to watch his back. Kylian Mbappe, France's top goalscorer, is sitting pretty on an all-time World Cup count of 14 goals — and has plenty of games left to go. As fans are quick to point out, Mbappe has nothing but praise and humility for his rival, recently declaring Messi a better player.
Mbappe vs. Messi World Cup final, anyone?
