Messi becomes top scorer in World Cup history

• Lionel Messi scored twice in a 2-0 win over Austria to become the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer on June 22.

• Argentina’s striker now has 18 goals.

• The record goal came in the 38th minute and two days before Messi’s 39th birthday.

• It saw him move past Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16).

• With the second goal, Messi surpassed Brazilian great Marta, who has 17 goals in FIFA Women’s World Cups.

• It was the sixth consecutive World Cup game in which Messi has scored,  joining France striker Just Fontaine and Brazil great Jairzinho as only players to do so.

• Klose scored his 16 goals while playing in 24 World Cup matches for Germany.

• Messi has played a record 28 World Cup matches in six tournaments. 

• Messi had equalled Germany striker Klose for the most goals in the World Cup at 16 with his first hat-trick at the tournament in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria in the Group J opener in Kansas City on June 16.