Lionel Messi scored his 17th and 18th World Cup goals on Monday to break the tournament's all-time scoring record and lead Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Austria, sealing the defending champions' place in the last 32.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner had an early opportunity to make history after Lautaro Martínez won a penalty in the ninth minute, but Messi dragged his spot kick wide of the post.
Austria, marshaled by veteran defender David Alaba, frustrated Argentina for much of the first half, with Messi denied on several occasions before finally breaking the deadlock in the 38th minute. Thiago Almada allowed Facundo Medina's pass to run through, leaving Messi to calmly finish past goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
Austria pushed for an equalizer after the break, but Argentina remained in control as the South Americans moved closer to securing their place in the knockout rounds.
Messi wrapped up the victory deep into stoppage time, reacting quickest after a scramble in the penalty area to force the ball over the line and score his second of the night.
The goal moved him clear of Germany's Miroslav Klose as the outright leading scorer in World Cup history and also saw him surpass Brazilian legend Marta as the top scorer across men's and women's World Cup tournaments combined.
Messi's late strike extended his scoring streak to six consecutive World Cup matches, further cementing his place among the game's greatest players as Argentina continue their title defense.
