Messi can surpass Klose's World Cup scoring record against Austria

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has the chance to break the all-time World Cup goals record when his team faces Austria on Wednesday as part of the 2026 tournament. The current mark of 16 goals is held by Germany's Miroslav Klose. Messi drew level with Klose after scoring a hat-trick against Algeria and needs one more goal to stand alone at the top of the list. France's Kylian Mbappe sits behind the pair on 14 goals and continues to close the gap with his performances for France. The race for the World Cup Golden Boot could shift again in both the short and long term depending on how the leading contenders perform in the coming matches. No further details on the Austria match were immediately available.