In brief
- Kylian Mbappé's France will take on Iraq from 7am AEST.
- Norway will play Senegal, and Jordan face Algeria in the last two matches of the day.
Lionel Messi became the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer on Tuesday AEST, scoring twice as holders Argentina powered into the last 32 with a 2-0 victory over Austria.
Messi swept home a low finish in the 38th minute of the Group J game in Arlington, Texas to take his career World Cup goals tally to 17, one clear of the previous record of 16 he shared with Miroslav Klose.
He then extended his record to 18 goals, ramming home a finish through a crowd of defenders deep in stoppage time to put the seal on Argentina's win.
The eight-time Ballon D'Or winner, who turns 39 on Thursday AEST, had blown a chance to break the record after eight minutes when he dragged a penalty wide of the post.
But the Argentina skipper made no mistake seven minutes before half-time, coolly placing his finish beyond the dive of Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Monday's victory guarantees Argentina a place in the knockout rounds of the tournament, and the South Americans could clinch top spot later today if Jordan fail to beat Algeria.
"I'm very happy with the victory," Messi said afterwards. "It was hugely important, tough, hard-fought, and it gives us peace of mind for what's ahead. The match was evenly balanced, intense, and we're happy to have earned six points."
Asked for his favorite World Cup goal of his career, Messi could not pinpoint one.
"I don't remember, really," he said. "I'm tired. I don't have a lot of strength and it's hard to think for me right now. So I'm just enjoying this moment and I want to join my colleagues."
Messi, who became one of the first two players to appear in six World Cups last week alongside Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, entered this year's event three goals behind Klose. Behind his first career World Cup hat trick in the Group J opener vs Algeria on 16 June, he pulled even entering the second group-stage match.
With the goal, Messi also tied a different World Cup record, scoring in his sixth straight match dating back to the 2022 World Cup which Argentina won. He's just the third player to score in six straight World Cup matches alongside France's Just Fontaine and Brazil's Jairzinho.
Messi is now four goals clear of another player eyeing the all-time World Cup scoring record, Kylian Mbappé, who will play his 100th game for France when they meet Iraq in Philadelphia.
"There is nothing bigger — 100 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," Mbappé said on Sunday.
Mbappe, 27, is tied with West Germany legend Gerd Mueller on 14 goals after he netted twice in France's opening 3-1 win against Senegal in Group I.
- All the FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage on our World Cup page
- How to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 on SBS
- Watch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at our On Demand hub
- How to favourite your FIFA World Cup 2026™ team and never miss a single moment of the action
France, who were beaten by Argentina on penalties in the last final in 2022, will expect to brush aside the Iraqis to guarantee a ticket to the knockout phase in a match which could be interrupted with thunderstorms forecast in Philadelphia.
Norway and their marksman Erling Haaland, who scored twice against Iraq in a 4-1 opening win, will also be guaranteed of going through from Group I if they beat Senegal in New Jersey and France defeat Iraq.
— With reporting by Agence France-Presse and Reuters news agencies.
You can watch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ live, free and exclusive on SBS, SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.
