Lionel Messi moved two clear of Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup as Argentina beat Austria 2-0 in Dallas.
After an unfathomable missed penalty early on, Messi found the bottom corner to score his 17th in tournament history in the first half, before squeezing home in stoppage time to complete his brace.
– World Cup Last Dance: Messi’s epilogue to epic Argentina story
The 38-year-old roared back into the headlines after his triple to open the campaign, which saw him equal Miroslav Klose’s all-time goalscoring record of 16 (though France‘s Kylian Mbappé remains in hot pursuit).
La Albiceleste are seeking a second consecutive World Cup crown after lifting the trophy in 2022 in Qatar, while Austria are bidding to reach the knockout stages for the first time since 1954 — having reached the tournament itself for the first time this year since 1998.
Austria impressed in a 3-1 win over Jordan, as Romano Schmid and Marko Arnautovic got on the scoresheet, and will be confident of causing problems with the high-intensity style that has become their hallmark under Ralf Rangnick. With both nations sitting on three points, a draw would likely be enough for qualification — but both sides will be keen to top the group.
Be the first to comment