Lionel Messi stated that he is not concerned about his age after becoming the all-time scorer in World Cup history just before his 39th birthday. He achieved this milestone by surpassing Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals with a first-half goal during Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria in Dallas, where he scored another goal as well.

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland each scored two goals in their respective matches, intensifying the competition for the World Cup Golden Boot. Messi, just days before his 39th birthday, contributed both goals to Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria at Dallas Stadium. This performance has set the stage for a thrilling showdown among these three prominent football stars.

Lionel Messi became the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer as Argentina advanced to the knockout stage following a 2-0 victory over Austria. Messi scored his 17th World Cup goal, surpassing the previous record, after recovering from an earlier penalty miss. The match took place in Dallas, United States, according to Xinhua.

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup expands to 48 teams, players such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Cristiano Ronaldo are breaking records in a competitive race for the Golden Boot, highlighting their elite scoring abilities.

According to The Citizen Sport, many of the world's top athletes, including icons like Messi, Ronaldo, Hamilton, and the Williams sisters, continue to excel in their sports despite being in their 40s. This highlights the notion that age may not be a barrier to achieving elite performance in athletics.

Algeria has filed a complaint with FIFA regarding what they describe as "refereeing injustice" following their opening World Cup match loss to Argentina. The complaint specifically highlights a tackle by Lionel Messi on Algerian defender Aissa Mandi, which occurred in the 30th minute of the match, according to an Algerian football federation source speaking to AFP.