Messi breaks all-time World Cup record with 17th Goal

Lionel Messi overcame early penalty heartbreak to write a historic new chapter in football history on Monday, becoming the outright all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history during Argentina’s Group J clash against Austria.

Messi had equalled Miroslav Klose's all-time mark of 16 World Cup goals when hitting a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria to open his country's title defence in North America last week.

The 38-year-old maestro broke the deadlock in the 38th minute, capping off a sleek team move with a precise, clinical finish into the bottom corner. The landmark goal was his 17th career World Cup strike, moving him past Germany’s Miroslav Klose to claim the tournament's ultimate scoring crown for himself.

The historic milestone arrived after severe frustration early in the first half. 

In the ninth minute, the referee awarded Argentina a penalty following a VAR review when Lautaro Martinez was brought down by Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch. Uncharacteristically, Messi fired his spot-kick wide of the right-hand post, becoming the first player to miss a penalty at the ongoing edition of the tournament.

However, his brilliant redemption before the interval erased the early blunder, putting the defending champions 1-0 up at halftime and cementing his unmatched legacy on the global stage.