Messi Prioritizes Team Advancement Over Goal Record in World Cup

Argentina’s Lionel Messi is happier about his team advancing to the next stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup than his new goalscoring record at the global championship, the Argentinian Ole daily quoted him as saying.

On June 22, in a group stage match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentina beat Austria 2-0 with Messi netting both goals. The Argentinian striker also failed to convert a penalty kick in the ninth minute, which could have potentially given him a hat trick for the second game in a row.

Messi is now the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, boasting 18 goals after breaking his tie with German forward Miroslav Klose (16 goals).

"I was angry about the penalty shot because I missed and my shot was terrible, but fortunately we managed to turn the tide of the game and take the lead," he told Ole. "It was really exciting. I had a penalty that could have increased the number of goals, but if I had converted it, I probably wouldn't have scored the other two goals. I am happy with the result, as well as the performance and efforts exerted by the team."

"We were well aware that it wasn't going to be easy to win the match, no one gives anything away for nothing, and it was difficult for us to control the ball during protracted attacks," he continued. "It was a tense, hard-fought match and we managed to do it at times, but the most important thing is to get to the next round."

Asked by the daily what he thought his best goal at the championship was so far, Messi replied: "I'm tired, I don't have much energy and it's hard for me to think at the moment."

"When the entire team gets together, we enjoy socializing, competing and everyday life. We also like people, joy, we try to maintain this dynamic and harmony, we are full of enthusiasm. However, we move step by step, it's a long way, it's difficult," he added.

Argentina tops Group J with six points. It is followed by Austria (three points), Jordan, and Algeria, both having zero points. The latter two will play their round 2 match later in the day.

Argentina will play its final group stage match against Jordan while Austria will face Algeria. Both games will be played on June 28.

The captain of the Argentinian national football team, Messi boasts 122 goals in 200 matches on the international stage throughout his career.

Messi won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2021 Copa America and gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. The Argentinian striker owns a record eight Ballon d’Or awards and a record six European Golden Shoes.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States between June 11 and July 19. The matches are staged in 16 cities across the three countries. This is the first FIFA World Cup featuring 48 teams instead of the previous 32-team format.