![Lionel Messi. [Reuters]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/22/rcv.YNA.20260620.PRU20260620043401009_P1.jpg)
Lionel Messi stands on the verge of becoming the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.
Argentina face Austria in their second Group J match of the 2026 North America World Cup at Dallas Stadium in Texas on Tuesday at 2 a.m. Korean Standard Time.
In the group stage opener against Algeria, Messi scored his first World Cup hat trick at the age of 38 years and 357 days, leading Argentina to a 3-0 victory. The three goals lifted his career World Cup tally to 16, drawing him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose for the all-time lead. One more goal against Austria would give Messi sole possession of the record.
Messi is also chasing his first World Cup Golden Boot. As of Monday, he shares the tournament scoring lead with Germany's Denis Undav and Canada's Jonathan David. Across previous World Cups, he scored one goal in 2006, four in 2014, one in 2018 and seven in 2022.
![Kylian Mbappe. [Reuters]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/06/22/rcv.YNA.20260622.PRU20260622180001009_P1.jpg)
France's Kylian Mbappe, with 14 career World Cup goals, is also in the hunt. Mbappe faces Iraq in his second Group I match in Philadelphia on Tuesday at 6 a.m. Korean Standard Time. In the opener against Senegal, he scored twice, breaking Olivier Giroud's French all-time international scoring record of 57 goals and Just Fontaine's World Cup record of 13 goals in the same match.
Tuesday's results could reshuffle the all-time World Cup scoring standings. With both Messi and Mbappe in action, the race for the tournament's top scorer is also set to intensify.
Meanwhile, defending champion Argentina will clinch an early round-of-32 berth with a win Tuesday. Should Argentina go on to win the tournament, it would be the first back-to-back World Cup title since Brazil won consecutive championships in 1958 and 1962 — a feat not achieved in 64 years.
dbsdn1110@heraldcorp.com
