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Messi Becomes World Cup All-Time Top Scorer.

7/1/2026

27 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Lionel Messi set a new World Cup record by becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer as Argentina defeated Austria 2-0.
He had previously tied Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals.
Messi scored a hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria at Kansas City Stadium.
He also netted a set-piece goal, marking his seventh consecutive World Cup match with a goal, a new record.

History

Historical Context

At the 1970 FIFA World Cup, West Germany’s striker Gerd Müller netted ten goals, earning the Golden Boot and setting a tournament record that stood until Brazil’s Ronaldo broke it in 2006. Müller’s 68 goals in 62 caps made him Germany’s all-time scorer until Miroslav Klose overtook him in 2014, highlighting the lasting influence of prolific forwards on World Cup scoring trends.

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Story summary

Lionel Messi set a new World Cup record by becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer as Argentina defeated Austria 2-0.
He had previously tied Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals.
Messi scored a hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria at Kansas City Stadium.
He also netted a set-piece goal, marking his seventh consecutive World Cup match with a goal, a new record.

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