Lionel Messi turned a missed penalty into a historic night after becoming the highest-scoring player in FIFA World Cup history during Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday.
The Argentine captain entered the match level with German legend Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record of 16 World Cup goals and appeared set to break it from the penalty spot.
However, the 38-year-old surprisingly failed to convert, leaving fans wondering whether the record would have to wait.
It didn’t.
Messi responded in typical fashion, finding the back of the net before adding a second goal to take his World Cup tally to 18 and move clear at the top of the all-time scoring charts.
The milestone adds another remarkable chapter to a career that has already delivered virtually every major trophy and individual honour in football.
What makes the achievement even more extraordinary is the length of Messi’s journey.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner made his World Cup debut in Germany in 2006 as a teenager.
Twenty years later, he is still delivering on football’s biggest stage and rewriting records many believed would stand for generations.
The latest feat also saw Messi surpass Brazilian legend Marta’s overall World Cup tally of 17 goals across both the men’s and women’s tournaments.
Having already become the first male player to feature in six World Cups, Messi continues to extend his legacy at a tournament he finally conquered when he led Argentina to glory in Qatar four years ago.
For many players, missing a penalty on a night of such significance would have been the story.
For Messi, it became little more than a footnote.
The record belonged to Klose before kick-off.
By the final whistle, it belonged to Messi alone.