Lionel Messi stepped to the spot in the fifth minute against Austria with a chance to become the all-time leading goal scorer in World Cup history. He had the record right there, right in front of him. And he sent the ball wide of the right post. A casual side-footed attempt that just didn’t curl enough.
It was the kind of miss that, for a different player, might have spiraled into a bad day. Instead it became a footnote.
Messi scored twice later in the match, first in the 35th minute and again deep into stoppage time at 90+5, pushing Argentina to a 2-0 win and clinching their spot in the knockout stage. His first-half goal pushed him past Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the most goals in World Cup history. He’s now at 18 career goals in the tournament. And with a hat trick in the opener against Algeria, Messi has scored all five of Argentina’s goals in the 2026 World Cup so far.
The internet, predictably, took that and ran with it straight at Cristiano Ronaldo.
The social media scoreboard was brutal
On X, fans didn’t waste time turning Messi’s record night into another round of the GOAT debate. User @ErNyoni posted: “Ronaldo must be seething wherever he is hiding. Messi 5 Ronaldo 0.” That’s five World Cup goals in 2026 for Messi to zero for Ronaldo, who hasn’t scored in this tournament and has barely threatened.
@kingyoungwizzy went after the underlying numbers: “Did you know Lionel Messi has more Man of the Match awards in the World Cup 2026 (2) than Cristiano Ronaldo has shots on target in the current World Cup (0)?”
That’s a real stat. Ronaldo hasn’t put a single shot on frame through two group stage matches. Messi has two Man of the Match honors. The comparison writes itself at this point.
@PMukundhan8 summed up what a lot of people are thinking: “Argentina is going back to back, and Messi is ending the greatest footballer debate. It’s going to be tough for Ronaldo fans.”
Argentina controlled the game start to finish
Credit where it’s due though — Argentina didn’t just ride on Messi’s heroics. They had 54% possession and suffocated Austria’s attack all afternoon. The midfield, led by Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister, never let Austria settle. And despite the early penalty miss, the team never looked panicked.
Messi’s first goal came from a quick passing sequence that opened up the Austrian defense. His second was classic Messi — drifting into space, receiving the ball near the edge of the box, and placing it exactly where the keeper couldn’t reach it. He made it look inevitable, the way he always does.
Argentina now moves on to the knockout round as defending champions with a perfect group stage record. Messi has the scoring record. The team looks balanced. And the Ronaldo comparisons are only going to get louder.
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