Lionel Messi had a chance to own the World Cup scoring record outright. Five minutes into Argentina’s group stage match against Austria, he got a penalty. He stepped up casually, side-footed it, and watched the ball drift wide of the right post.
That miss keeps Messi tied with Germany’s Miroslav Klose at 16 career World Cup goals. Klose got there over four tournaments. Messi has done it across six. A 17th goal would have been his alone. Instead, the record stays shared for at least a little longer.
The penalty came after VAR intervened. Lautaro Martinez was charging toward goal when Austria’s Xaver Schlager challenged him. On the field, the referee called it a clean tackle. But the review showed Schlager didn’t touch the ball. So Argentina got the spot kick, and Messi went to the dot with history on his boot.
It didn’t go well. The shot was soft and aimed at the middle-right area. It just kept going. Past the post, past the net, past the chance.
Messi already bagged a hat trick in Argentina’s group opener. That put him level with Klose and got everyone talking about the record. The anticipation for this game was real. But Austria’s defense held firm, and Messi will have to wait.
What happens next for Messi and the record
Argentina still has one more group stage game before the knockout rounds. Messi will likely get plenty of minutes in both. At 39 years old, he’s still the focal point of this team. And he’s still creating chances, even if this one slipped away.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe is lurking at 14 career World Cup goals. France plays later on day 12. Mbappe is young enough that he could chase Messi and Klose for another decade. But for now, the record is a tie. For now.
Back in the Austria match, things stayed scoreless through the first half. Argentina controlled possession but couldn’t break through. Austria packed the box and dared Argentina to find a way. Messi dropped deep, tried to pull strings, but the final ball wasn’t there.
It’s not panic time for Argentina. They’re still favorites in the group. But Messi missing a penalty like that — with the record on the line — is the kind of moment that sticks. He doesn’t miss many. This one just happened to come at the worst possible time for him and the best possible time for the record to stay alive a little longer.
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