Lionel Messi made World Cup history on Monday, scoring twice to become the tournament's all-time leading scorer as Argentina defeated Austria 2-0. The victory punched the defending champions' ticket to the round of 32.
Messi's two goals moved him past the previous record held by Germany's Miroslav Klose. The Argentine captain also had a penalty saved by Poland's Wojciech Szczesny during the 2022 World Cup, where Argentina ultimately won the title. He also missed a spot-kick at the 2018 tournament.
The result keeps Argentina perfect in group play and solidifies their position atop the standings. With the win, they advance as group winners and avoid a potential early knockout-round matchup against a higher-seeded opponent.
Argentina will now prepare for their round-of-32 fixture, though their opponent has yet to be determined. Messi and his teammates will look to carry this momentum into the knockout stage as they aim to defend their 2022 title.
"Magic Messi makes World Cup history," Yahoo Sports wrote, capturing the significance of the moment as the Argentine star etching his name alone atop the scoring list.