Messi Eyes World Cup Scoring Record Against Austria
Lionel Messi stands on the brink of yet another World Cup rewrite, and he does it with the weight of history on one shoulder and family worry on the other.
On Monday in Dallas, the Argentina captain needs just one more goal against Austria to stand alone at the top of the World Cup scoring charts. One more, and Miroslav Klose’s long-standing mark of 16 will be his.
He arrives at this moment at 38, turning 39 on Wednesday, with a hamstring that has been questioned for weeks and a heart clearly somewhere else. His tearful reaction to his first goal in the 3-0 win over Algeria told its own story; later came the revelation that his father is recovering from an unspecified health issue.
The numbers, though, do not wait for anyone’s private battles. Messi’s hat-trick in that opening Group J win dragged him level with Klose and lit up a campaign that had looked fragile before it even began. His teammates responded to the sight of him back on the biggest stage, even if he is no longer the tireless runner of a decade ago.
Alexis Mac Allister left no doubt about the hierarchy in this Argentina side.
“If anyone thought this group was better off without Leo, today it became clear that Leo is the most important of them all,” the midfielder said after Algeria were swept aside.
The equation now is simple. Beat Austria in Texas and Argentina are through to the next round. If Jordan fail to defeat Algeria later on Monday, top spot in Group J is theirs as well. The stakes are familiar. The stage, too. Yet the subplot is irresistible: an ageing genius, one goal from owning the most cherished scoring record the World Cup can offer.
Mbappe’s century, records in sight
While Messi chases one record, Kylian Mbappe is quietly hunting down the same one in his own way, at his own pace.
In Philadelphia, the France forward will win his 100th cap when the world champions of 2018 face Iraq in Group I. A landmark night, and a dangerous one for defenders who know exactly what is coming and still struggle to stop it.
“There is nothing bigger — one hundred is a historic figure, and to have the chance to reach that tally here at a World Cup means it will be a special match for me,” Mbappe told reporters on Sunday.
He is 27 now, no longer the teenage phenomenon of 2018, but his numbers are already brushing up against the giants of the game. Two goals in France’s 3-1 opening win over Senegal lifted him level with West Germany legend Gerd Mueller on 14 World Cup goals.
The gap to Klose and Messi is small. The time to close it feels long.
France, beaten by Argentina on penalties in that breathless 2022 final, expect to make light work of Iraq and book their place in the knockout rounds. The only threat to their rhythm may come from the sky, with thunderstorms forecast over Philadelphia and the possibility of interruptions hanging over the fixture.
Group I has another heavyweight striker flexing his muscles. Erling Haaland struck twice in Norway’s 4-1 win over Iraq and will drag his side into the last 16 if they beat Senegal in New Jersey and France do their job against Iraq. Two ruthless finishers, two nations eyeing a deep run, and a scoring race that could define this tournament.
Spain respond, Cape Verde dare to dream
On Sunday, Spain answered their critics with the kind of authority that tends to silence talkback radio for a while.
After a flat, goalless draw against Cape Verde in their opener, the European champions had been accused of lacking bite, tempo, even imagination. The response in their second Group H match was brutal: a 4-0 dismantling of Saudi Arabia.
Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona prodigy, set the tone. Making his first start in two months after a hamstring problem, he opened the scoring and loosened every muscle in a previously tense Spanish side. Once the first went in, the rest followed.
Mikel Oyarzabal added two more, and a Hassan al-Tambakti own goal completed the rout. Spain moved to four points from two games and to the top of Group H, but it was the manner of the performance that mattered most.
Luis De la Fuente did not hide the fact that the criticism had stung.
“When someone questions your work, it is only human that anyone with courage and pride reacts to prove people wrong,” the Spain coach said.
If Spain were restoring order, Cape Verde were busy rewriting expectations. The World Cup debutants followed up that draw with Spain by grabbing a vibrant 2-2 result against Uruguay in Miami, another night that felt like a statement rather than a surprise.
Bubista’s team refused to be overawed by Uruguay’s pedigree, trading blows and leaving the pitch with another point and a growing sense that something remarkable might be brewing.
“We want to show the entire world that we are in the condition to fight for qualification, and I think that that’s what we showed in today’s match,” Bubista said.
A place in the knockout rounds for Cape Verde would have sounded fanciful weeks ago. Now it is a live possibility, and the rest of Group H can feel it.
Belgium stall, Iran leave a message
Elsewhere, Belgium’s search for a first win in Group G goes on. The Red Devils, already under scrutiny after a disappointing cycle following their so-called golden generation, were held to a 0-0 draw by Iran in Los Angeles.
Having drawn with Egypt in their opener, Belgium again failed to impose themselves. They finished with 10 men and ran aground against a disciplined, resilient Iranian side that refused to be bent out of shape.
Iran’s presence at this World Cup comes against the backdrop of negotiations with the United States aimed at ending their war, a political reality that hangs in the air even as the team compete on American soil.
When they left the dressing room at Los Angeles Stadium, the players left something else behind: a handwritten message.
“May peace, respect and friendship prevail among all nations,” it read.
“Thank you, Los Angeles for your hospitality. And thank you to every Iranian who gave their heart, voice and soul for Iran throughout these 180 minutes.
“We came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honour, and left with dignity. May peace, respect and friendship prevail among all nations.”
On a day dominated by talk of records, milestones and qualification scenarios, those words cut through the noise. Football will move on quickly to Dallas, to Philadelphia, to New Jersey. Messi will chase history, Mbappe will mark his century, Haaland will hunt goals.
But somewhere in the background, a simple message from a quiet dressing room lingers over a tournament that keeps asking what kind of stories it wants to tell.
