Lionel Messi S Brilliance Makes Zlatan Ibrahimovi Mock His Own World Cup Record He Has Five Goals Me Zero
Hindustan Times
There is just no stopping Lionel Messi, the Argentine superstar. It doesn't seem like that the forward will turn 39 on June 24
. He is still agile and continues to wreak havoc inside the opponents' box, shattering their defence left, right and centre. If the hat-trick against Algeria wasn't enough in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Messi followed this performance with another brace against Austria in the Group J match on Monday night at the Dallas Stadium.
Messi achieved yet another sensational record on Monday, becoming the highest goal-scorer in the FIFA World Cup, breaking the record of German icon Miroslav Klose. The striker achieved the feat with a 38th-minute strike. In the last match against Algeria, Messi drew level with Klose on 16 goals. Messi now has a total of 18 goals in the tournament, and the 2026 edition of the competition has seen Messi striking two goals in five matches.
The match against Austria started on a bad note for Messi as he failed to convert a penalty. However, he more than made up for it by scoring a brace and helping the defending champions qualify for the Round of 32. The sensational performance by Messi forced even Zlatan Ibrahimović to take notice.
The Swedish great bowed to Messi as he mocked his own World Cup record, saying he failed to score in the tournament despite playing in two editions.
“It was never in doubt. There are moments when he looks human. Like missing the penalty. But there are moments when he doesn't look human. That's Messi. So far, it's his World Cup,” said Zlatan on Fox Sports.
“I don't know where he will finish. Five goals in two games. I have zero goals in two World Cups. I am happy for him. I hope he continues. His birthday is in a couple of days, so let him enjoy. We are all enjoying seeing him play, so just amazing,” he added.
Against Algeria, Messi had become the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the FIFA World Cup, eclipsing the record held by Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal. Messi also registered his 11th hat-trick in the Argentine shirt, overhauling Ronaldo’s tally of 10 hat-tricks to script the most hat-tricks in men’s international football.
Speaking of Argentina, the defending champions defeated Austria 2-0 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J clash in Dallas, qualifying for the Round of 32. The team will next play against Jordon on Sunday, June 28.