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Argentina’s 2-0 triumph over Austria secured their progression to the round of 32 and virtually confirmed their position as winners of Group J.

The 2026 World Cup has so far been smooth sailing for the reigning world champions, who have not conceded a single goal in their matches against Algeria and Austria. All five of those goals were scored by their captain and eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient, Lionel Messi.

Those eight Ballon d’Or titles are already a record, and they are just part of the vast list of accolades linked to Messi’s name. Just days before turning 39, the Inter Miami star added two more extraordinary achievements to his impressive collection.

Among the flood of records Messi has shattered over his career, one in particular stands out — the one he completely rewrote within just two matches at the 2026 World Cup.

When the tournament kicked off, Messi had 13 World Cup goals to his name, trailing the all-time record holder Miroslav Klose by three.

By the end of Argentina’s opening match against Algeria, Messi had drawn level with the former German striker. Despite missing a penalty in that game, he surged ahead with 17 goals by halftime during the win over Austria, and added his 18th goal four minutes into stoppage time.

While Klose, Ronaldo and Gerd Muller have long retired, French striker Kylian Mbappe has quickly closed in on Messi’s tally, sitting just three goals behind. Given Mbappe’s current form, it seems only a matter of time before his total rises further.

For now, however, Messi remains firmly on top of the world football stage.

The Argentina captain also shares another record with Cristiano Ronaldo — the most World Cup appearances. Both legends began their World Cup journeys in Germany in 2006 and have featured in every edition since.

Messi now holds the record for the most World Cup matches played (28), surpassing Lothar Matthaus (25), Miroslav Klose (24), and Paolo Maldini and Cristiano Ronaldo (both 23). He also boasts the most minutes played in the tournament’s history.

Remarkably, before tonight’s fixture against Austria, Messi was level with Klose in terms of World Cup matches won. His record-breaking display not only extended his goal tally but also took his total to 18 victories, one ahead of Klose’s 17.

Brazil’s Cafu follows with 16 wins, while Wolfgang Overath (West Germany), Ronaldo (Brazil), Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Matthaus (all Germany) each have 15 victories to their names.

Of these players, only Matthaus has a lower winning rate than Messi when it comes to World Cup matches. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe currently boasts a superior goals-per-match record compared to Messi, alongside Harry Kane, Enner Valencia, Cody Gakpo, and James Rodriguez.

Still, such statistical nuances are unlikely to trouble the World Cup-winning Argentine captain, who continues to extend his legacy as one of football’s greatest ever players.