LIONEL Messi became the FIFA World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer as the Argentina captain scored twice in a 2-0 victory over Austria, sending the defending champions into the Round of 32, while Kylian Mbappe also struck a brace as France defeated Iraq in a weather-disrupted encounter.
News Point Nigeria Sport reports that Messi’s historic performance in Dallas saw him surpass Germany legend Miroslav Klose’s long-standing World Cup goals record, while Mbappe continued his remarkable scoring run by moving joint-second on the all-time list as France maintained their perfect start to the tournament.
The Argentine superstar, who turns 39 on Wednesday, netted his 17th and 18th World Cup goals to move two clear of Klose, whose record tally was accumulated between 2002 and 2014.
Messi’s landmark moment arrived in the 38th minute of Argentina’s Group J clash against Austria. Thiago Almada cleverly allowed Facundo Medina’s pull-back to run through his legs, leaving Messi to sweep a first-time finish into the net from just inside the penalty area.
The Inter Miami forward completed his historic double deep into second-half stoppage time, firing home from a tight angle past two Austrian defenders after Julian Alvarez had initially been denied by goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
The record-breaking night could have become even more memorable much earlier.
Argentina were awarded a penalty after only eight minutes when Stefan Posch fouled Lautaro Martinez, with Austria’s Xaver Schlager also involved in the challenge. However, Messi unexpectedly dragged his spot-kick wide of the target.
The miss ultimately proved insignificant as the Argentine captain produced another masterclass, taking his tally at the 2026 World Cup to five goals in just two matches after scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s opening 3-0 victory over Algeria.
Austria, managed by former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick, remained competitive throughout and almost found an equaliser before Messi’s second goal sealed the contest.
Marcel Sabitzer, making his 100th international appearance, came closest for Austria, but Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced an excellent save to keep out the midfielder’s powerful free-kick.
The victory moves Argentina onto six points and confirms their place in the Round of 32 alongside Mexico, the United States and Germany.
The reigning champions will also secure top spot in Group J if Jordan fail to defeat Algeria later.
Despite the defeat, Austria remain firmly in contention for qualification after beginning their campaign with victory over Jordan and currently sit on three points.
Just hours after Messi broke the all-time scoring record, France captain Kylian Mbappe responded with a brilliant two-goal display in a 3-0 victory over Iraq in Philadelphia.
Mbappe’s brace took his World Cup tally to 16 goals in just 16 appearances, leaving him only two goals behind Messi’s newly established record.
The Group I encounter also entered the history books as the first match of the 2026 World Cup to be disrupted by severe weather.
While heavy rainfall earlier in the day delayed supporters’ entry into Philadelphia Stadium, the match itself started on schedule. However, lightning strikes later forced a delay of more than two hours before the second half could resume.
France made a bright start and deservedly took the lead in the 14th minute when Mbappe unleashed a superb left-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area into the far corner.
Despite their early dominance, Les Bleus struggled to create clear-cut opportunities after the first-half hydration break.
Iraq gradually enjoyed longer spells of possession, although they suffered a setback when captain and striker Aymen Hussein was forced off through injury.
Following the lengthy weather interruption, France returned with greater intensity and soon doubled their advantage thanks to a costly Iraqi error.
Goalkeeper Ahmed Basil failed to control a short goal-kick played by defender Zaid Tahseen, allowing Ousmane Dembele to pounce and set up Mbappe for a simple finish.
France continued to create opportunities thereafter.
Adrien Rabiot missed a clear header, while Michael Olise struck the crossbar with an audacious effort before Dembele finally added a third goal with a composed finish into the bottom corner.
The goal was created by an outstanding outside-of-the-foot pass from Olise and marked Dembele’s first goal for France at a major international tournament in his 20th appearance.
Iraq still threatened sporadically in the closing stages.
Defender Rebin Sulaka volleyed over from a Zidane Iqbal corner, while Ali Al Hamadi narrowly failed to connect with a dangerous cross from Marko Farji.
Mbappe then had the opportunity to complete his hat-trick late in the match after racing clear of the Iraqi defence, but he blazed his left-footed effort high and wide.
The victory leaves France top of Group I with six points as they continue their pursuit of a third consecutive World Cup final appearance.
Iraq, meanwhile, remain bottom of the group without a point after two matches.
With Messi rewriting World Cup history and Mbappe rapidly closing in on the record books, football’s two biggest modern superstars once again dominated the headlines on another dramatic day at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.