WORLD CUP PROGNOSTICATION: Will Messi break all-time World Cup scoring record in Argentina's next game?
74% of users predicted YES — the community got this one right. 35 predictions cast.
Lionel Messi broke the all-time World Cup scoring record on June 22 when he scored goals No. 17 and No. 18 in Argentina's 2-0 group-stage victory over Austria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The previous record of 16 goals had been set by Germany's Miroslav Klose across three World Cups between 2002 and 2014.
Messi had matched Klose's mark with a hat trick in Argentina's opening game of the tournament against Algeria. His 17th goal in the match against Austria gave him the outright record; a second goal deep in stoppage time pushed the total to 18. With 18 World Cup goals, Messi also surpassed the all-time scoring record across both men's and women's World Cups, eclipsing Brazilian great Marta, who holds 17 goals in women's tournaments.
The goal against Austria also made Messi the third player in World Cup history to score in six consecutive matches, joining France's Just Fontaine in 1958 and Brazil's Jairzinho in 1970. The record came in Messi's record sixth World Cup tournament, which he declared ahead of the competition would be his last.
The Predict Six community had strong conviction on this one, with 74 percent correctly predicting Messi would break the record in this match.