FIFA World Cup 2026: Historic Milestones as Messi Claims Top Scorer Record and Mbappé Reaches 100 Caps

An extraordinary day of football at the 2026 FIFA World Cup saw legendary milestones achieved as Argentina and France secured their places in the knockout stage.

Messi Stands Alone at the Top Lionel Messi solidified his status in football history during Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria. Scoring a crucial brace, Messi reached 18 career World Cup goals, officially surpassing Miroslav Klose's men's record of 16 and Marta's overall record of 17 to become the outright highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history.

Key statistical milestones from Messi's historic match: - At 38 years and 364 days, Messi is now the third oldest player to score in a World Cup, behind only Roger Milla and Pepê. - He becomes the second player ever to score 4 or more goals in three different World Cup editions (2014, 2022, and 2026), matching Miroslav Klose. - This match marked the first time Messi scored in a competitive game for Argentina while also failing to convert a penalty. - Messi has been involved in 12 goals and 3 assists in his last nine World Cup appearances dating back to the 2022 tournament.

Mbappé Matches Klose and Celebrates 100 Caps Meanwhile, France cruised to a 3-0 victory against Iraq, driven by a stellar brace from Kylian Mbappé. The goals took Mbappé's World Cup tally to 16, tying Germany's Miroslav Klose for the second-most goals by a male player in World Cup history.

Notable achievements from France's victory: - Mbappé earned his 100th international cap for France at just 27 years and 184 days, becoming the youngest player in French history and the fourth-youngest European ever to reach this milestone. - He extended his World Cup record by registering his sixth career multi-goal game in the tournament. - France has now advanced to the knockout stage for the fourth consecutive World Cup (dating back to 2014), the longest such streak in the national team's history.