Messi overtakes Klose as Argentina beat Austria 2-0

A missed penalty can drain a stadium in seconds. Lionel Messi turned that silence into another World Cup record.

Against Austria, he first looked human. Then he looked like Messi again. By full time, Argentina had a 2-0 win, a knockout place, and football had a new World Cup scoring leader.

The stat line tells the story cleanly: Messi scored twice, missed 1 penalty, and moved to 18 World Cup goals. He went past Miroslav Klose, who had held the record with 16.

Austria made Argentina uncomfortable

Ralf Rangnick did not come to admire the world champions. Austria pressed hard from the first whistle and made Argentina work for every pass.

That high press meant Austria chased in packs. They blocked passing lanes, rushed Argentina’s midfield, and forced rushed decisions near the halfway line.

Argentina started in a 4-1-3-2 shape, with Messi and Lautaro Martinez up front. Lionel Scaloni clearly wanted control through the middle, not hopeful balls from deep.

But Austria’s midfield refused to sit back. They squeezed Argentina, broke up moves, and looked for quick counters whenever the ball turned over.

For Indian viewers used to seeing Messi glide through matches, this one had a different rhythm. Argentina had the ball, but not comfort. Austria had less control, but plenty of bite.

The penalty miss changed the mood

The ninth minute offered Argentina the perfect opening. Lautaro Martinez drove into the box after a sharp move around Austria’s area.

Two Austrian defenders brought him down from behind. After a VAR check, Argentina got the penalty.

Messi stepped up with the usual calm. Then came the shock. He missed the target completely, sending the ball wide.

It was not just a stray kick. It added to a strange World Cup pattern for Messi. He had missed penalties against Iceland in 2018 and Poland in 2022.

This was his third World Cup with a penalty miss. Excluding shootouts, no player has missed more World Cup penalties since 1966. Across his career, this was his 33rd missed penalty, and his 7th for Argentina.

That matters because Messi’s legend often looks smooth from a distance. Up close, it carries scars. The record books remember the goals, but players live through the misses too.

Messi found another route

Messi did not stay fixed in one position. He dropped into midfield, drifted away from markers, and pulled Austria out of shape.

Rangnick did not use a strict man-marker on him. In truth, Messi made that plan hard anyway. He kept moving into spaces where defenders had to choose.

If one followed him, a gap opened elsewhere. If nobody followed, Messi received the ball facing goal.

Near half time, Argentina finally found the cut. Facundo Medina sent a cross from the left into the Austrian box. Thiago Almada let it run through his legs.

That small decision mattered. It wrong-footed Austria’s defence and carried the ball into Messi’s path.

Messi arrived and finished with force. The penalty miss no longer defined his night. The goal did.

Two days before his 39th birthday, Messi had passed Klose’s World Cup record. He had already reached 16 goals with a hat-trick against Algeria. Against Austria, he moved first to 17, then later to 18.

Brazil’s Ronaldo, on 15, now sits behind both. That tells you the company Messi has crossed.

Austria kept swinging late

The match did not become a celebration march for Argentina. Austria stayed rough, direct, and ambitious.

Marcel Sabitzer and Paul Wanner both troubled Argentina’s defence. Austria pushed quickly whenever they won the ball, wasting little time in transition.

Argentina struggled to build dangerous moves from the wings. Their best openings came when Messi found pockets centrally or when Austria lost shape.

Emiliano Martinez had to stay alert, especially when Sabitzer struck a free-kick. Argentina’s lead never felt fully safe.

Scaloni turned to the bench as the match grew more physical. Nicolas Otamendi replaced the injured Cristian Romero. Julian Alvarez and Nico Gonzalez also came on to freshen the attack.

Austria made their own changes and threw more bodies forward. In the final minutes, they kept more of the ball and pinned Argentina back.

That risk opened the door. Argentina pressed high, won the moment, and broke on the counter. Messi finished again.

A record with real weight

Football loves neat headlines. Messi breaks record. Argentina reach knockouts. Another magical night.

But this match had more texture than that. Austria showed how even great teams can look trapped when pressed with courage and structure.

Argentina showed why champions survive ugly phases. They adjusted, defended through pressure, and waited for the one player who bends matches.

For Messi, the night captured his full story. A missed penalty exposed the nerves. Two goals reminded everyone why the ball still seems to obey him differently.

For fans, especially those watching from faraway homes in India, this is the gift of late-career Messi. Every match now feels borrowed.

Argentina move on, but the bigger question follows them. How much magic does Messi still have left in this World Cup? After Austria, nobody will feel wise enough to answer that too early.