DALLAS, Texas — Lionel Messi set a new men’s World Cup scoring record on Monday while playing for Argentina against Austria at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, according to match reports.
Messi scored his 18th career World Cup goal during the first half of the match, surpassing the previous record of 16 goals held jointly by Germany’s Miroslav Klose and himself before the game, according to tournament statistics.
Argentina entered the match after a 3-0 win over Algeria, in which Messi scored a hat-trick to equal Klose’s record, records showed.
The 38-year-old forward and midfielder has represented Argentina across six World Cup tournaments and has made 27 World Cup appearances, according to team records. He also holds Argentina’s national team records for appearances and goals with 120 goals.
Messi plays club football for Inter Miami. He has recorded three wins and two draws in five matches played in Texas, according to match records.
