Lionel Messi sets Dallas record
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini played for Argentina against Austria near Dallas on June 22, 2026, during the FIFA World Cup Group J schedule in Texas.
The 38-year-old forward entered the match tied with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals after scoring a hat trick against Algeria in Argentina’s opening match days earlier.
Lionel Messi entered level with Klose
Lionel Messi reached 16 World Cup goals before Austria by scoring three times against Algeria, moving Argentina’s captain level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose on the men’s career list.
Klose’s 16 goals had led the men’s World Cup list, while Brazil’s Ronaldo followed with 15 across his tournament career before Messi moved clear in Texas play later.
Lionel Messi faced video review
Argentina received an early penalty after video review against Austria, giving Lionel Messi the first clear chance to pass Klose’s tournament total near Dallas in Group J play.
Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager stood between Messi and the record, while the crowd watched a major opening-stage moment during Argentina’s Group J match in Texas World Cup play.
Lionel Messi missed early penalty
Lionel Messi sent his penalty attempt just wide of the right post, missing an early chance to move alone atop the World Cup scoring list.
Messi later said he felt angry about the miss, but he made up for it by scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 Group J win over Austria in Texas.
Lionel Messi drew broadcast reaction
The early penalty miss drew immediate broadcast attention because Messi had entered the match level with Klose and held a clear chance to pass him before halftime arrived.
FOX Sports listed Darren Fletcher and Owen Hargreaves as announcers for its Argentina-Austria highlights, placing both voices on coverage of the match from Texas during Group J play.
Lionel Messi penalty record stood out
Lionel Messi’s missed penalty against Austria became another rare World Cup blemish from the spot, as he became the first player to miss penalties in 3 different World Cups.
The Austria attempt went wide of the right post, giving the record-setting match an early twist before Messi later scored twice for Argentina in Group J.
Lionel Messi answered with left foot
Lionel Messi later scored with his left foot after Facundo Medina’s low cross reached the box, and Thiago Almada let the pass run cleanly through the area untouched.
The ball passed Alexander Schlager and gave Argentina a 1-0 lead, making Messi the men’s World Cup scoring leader before his second goal in Texas later that night.
Lionel Messi passed Klose at 17
Lionel Messi’s first Austria goal became his 17th World Cup goal, moving him past Miroslav Klose’s former men’s tournament record of 16 in Texas during Group J play.
Messi scored again in Argentina’s 2-0 win, raising his World Cup total to 18 after the June 22, 2026, Group J match near Dallas.
Lionel Messi led record list
Lionel Messi then stood above the men’s World Cup scoring list after Austria, with Miroslav Klose on 16 and Brazil’s Ronaldo on 15 behind him in career totals.
Earlier tournament comparisons placed Kylian Mbappé at 14 goals before later Group I scoring, so the live scoring race remained subject to change that month.
Lionel Messi received Klose context
Miroslav Klose had said before Messi broke the record that he expected the mark to fall during the 2026 World Cup in North America, during the summer group phase.
Klose also praised Messi as a genius, saying he was a fan of the Argentine forward while the record chase moved through the tournament schedule in June play.
Argentina fans saw history near Dallas
Argentina fans near Dallas saw Messi miss an early penalty, then score the goal that changed the men’s World Cup scoring list during Group J play in Texas.
The match took place on June 22, 2026, in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, with Argentina facing Austria during Group J play at the World Cup.
Argentina advanced after Austria win
Argentina beat Austria 2-0 in Group J, and the result sent Lionel Scaloni’s team into the knockout stage with one match still left in group play.
The win followed Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria, where Messi scored three times to reach Klose’s previous mark before facing Austria in Texas during Group J play.
As FOX’s opening-day decisions drew criticism, bigger questions emerged about broadcast priorities. Explore how the network’s World Cup coverage sparked backlash before the tournament had barely begun.
Lionel Messi changed scoring race
Lionel Messi’s Austria match turned a missed early chance into a record-setting night, with the first goal moving him beyond Klose on the scoring list.
After June 22, 2026, Messi stood on 18 World Cup goals, with Argentina unbeaten through two Group J matches and already into the knockout stage.
As Messi’s record night sparked debate, a controversial red card raised bigger questions. Dive into how Lionel Messi’s historic performance became tangled in one of the match’s most disputed decisions.
Did Lionel Messi’s missed penalty make his record night against Austria more memorable, or did the two goals matter more than the early mistake? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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