World Cup 2026 analysis: Why Lionel Messi's World Cup record almost didn't happen

Lionel Messi's brace against Austria this past Tuesday saw him break the all-time World Cup scoring record.

Germany's Miroslav Klose, who previously held the record with 17 World Cup goals, has now been surpassed after Messi scored his 17th and 18th goals in the competition, making him the tournament's all-time leading scorer.

However, the record only tells part of the story. The night itself was far messier for Messi than the final scoreline suggests. Unlike Argentina's previous match against Algeria, he found far fewer opportunities and had to work much harder for his goals.