Guinness confirms 4 Messi records in a single match: he is already the top scorer in the World Cup with 18 goals

Guinness World Records was not left out of the match that redefined the history of football. This June 22, 2026, the official account @GWR en 2-0 Austria in the group stage of the World Cup 2026: "We are witnessing history," closed the message, which exceeded 2 million views in a few hours.

The Argentine captain not only qualified the albiceleste to the round of 16; turned a tense duel into a date with the record books. He missed a penalty early on, equalized and surpassed Miroslav Klose with his goal in the 38th minute and sealed the victory in added time to reach 18 World Cup goals.

The 4 records that Guinness attributes to Messi

According to the post Guinness World Records, Messi established or expanded these milestones in a single match:

• Most goals in FIFA World Cup finals by a player — 18
• Most FIFA World Cup matches played by an individual — 28
• Most matches won by a player in the FIFA World Cup — 18
• Most minutes played in the FIFA World Cup — 2,489

The GWR editorial team uses the term “finals” to refer to the final tournament of the World Cup (not just the final match). In Spanish, it is equivalent to the top scorer in the history of the men's competition. Media such as MARCA and The Punch picked up the announcement minutes after the final whistle.

The match: missed penalty, record and classification

Austria faced the champion at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington. At 12 minutes, Messi had a penalty to go ahead and beat Klose, but his shot went wide: the first missed penalty of the 2026 World Cup after six consecutive successes, according to Sporting News.

The Argentine did not take long to correct the script. At 38, with a first touch finish after a pass from Alexis Mac Allister, he reached 17 goals and became the top men's scorer of the tournament. In the 95th minute, after a rebound from Schlager, he made it 2-0 and closed the night at 18 goals.

Associated Press emphasizes that the record came 40 years after Diego Maradona's "goal of the century" against England in Mexico 1986. Messi, at 38 years old, also has five goals in two games in this World Cup - a hat-trick against Algeria and the double against Austria - and joins Just Fontaine and Jairzinho as the only players to score in six consecutive World Cups.

Road to the record: from Klose to 18 goals

Messi arrived in the United States 2026 three goals behind Klose's record. In the debut against Algeria (3-0 in Kansas City) he scored his first World Cup hat-trick and left the score at 16. Against Austria he surpassed it definitively.

The historical table is headed like this, according to Al Jazeera and MARCA:

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina) — 18 goals
2. Miroslav Klose (Germany) — 16
3. Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) — 15
4. Gerd Müller (Germany) — 14
5. Kylian Mbappé (France) — 14

With the victory, Argentina adds six points and ensures its presence in the knockout phase. Messi has the team's five goals in the tournament. Austria, with three points after beating Jordan, can still qualify on the last day of the group.

«I'm enjoying this moment»

After the game, Messi prioritized the collective victory over the individual weight of the record. "I am very happy for the victory, especially because it is such an important, intense and hard-fought match," he said, according to Al Jazeera's live coverage. "We already have six points and we are already classified." Regarding whether this is his favorite World Cup, he responded that he is enjoying the moment.

FIFA named him superior player of the match (Superior Player of the Match, sponsored by Michelob Ultra). The governing body of world football published the official match sheet on its match centre.

In summary

What happened? Argentina beat Austria 2-0 and Messi scored two goals. What does Guinness say? Four world records in a single game: goals (18), games (28), victories (18) and minutes (2,489). Who did he surpass? Miroslav Klose as the top men's scorer in the World Cup. And now? The albiceleste is already in the second round; Messi accumulates five goals in two dates and continues to expand a legacy that not even the record-keeping institution can ignore.

Update (July 9, 2026): Argentina beat Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16 (overtime) on July 7 in Atlanta. Lionel Messi scored in the 83rd minute and has 9 goals in the tournament. In the quarterfinals they will face Switzerland on July 11 in Kansas City. Picture in World Cup 2026.