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Monday, June 23 was the night the record books changed. Lionel Messi became the highest goalscorer in men’s World Cup history, finishing with 18 goals after a brace against Austria. Kylian Mbappé, not to be outdone, scored twice in Philadelphia on his 100th cap to level Miroslav Klose’s previous record of 16. A thunderstorm, a come-from-behind thriller in New Jersey, and a debut nation’s tournament ending in San Francisco completed the picture. Here is everything that happened.
Argentina 2-0 Austria — Dallas, 10:30 PM IST (Jun 22)
He missed the penalty in the ninth minute. By the 38th, he had broken the all-time World Cup scoring record. By the 95th, he had extended it. Lionel Messi’s evening at the Dallas Stadium was the kind that will be spoken about for a long time.
After Lautaro Martínez was fouled in the box, Messi stepped up and dragged his spot-kick wide. Austria, organised and defiant under Ralf Rangnick, held the line. David Alaba made multiple crucial blocks. Marcel Sabitzer threatened from a dangerous free-kick on his 100th international appearance. Then, in the 38th minute, Facundo Medina’s low cross reached the box, Thiago Almada’s dummy let it roll, and Messi slotted a textbook left-footed finish into the bottom-right corner. His 17th World Cup goal. Miroslav Klose’s record, held since 2014, was gone.
Julián Álvarez and Nicolás González came on around the hour mark to freshen Argentina’s attack. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Álvarez drove into the box, had his shot blocked, and Messi reacted first in the scramble to force the ball home. Goal number 18. The most World Cup goals ever scored by any man. Argentina are through to the Round of 32 with six points from two matches.
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France 3-0 Iraq — Philadelphia, 2:30 AM IST
A violent thunderstorm over Pennsylvania forced a 130-minute suspension at half-time, turning a football match into a four-hour test of patience. France were unfazed. Mbappé had already put them ahead in the 14th minute with a thunderous curling left-footer from the edge of the box. When play resumed on a waterlogged pitch, a catastrophic Iraqi defensive miscommunication gifted Dembelé possession, and he squared it to Mbappé, who poked it home from close range. 2-0. His 16th World Cup goal, equalling Klose’s previous record in second place on the all-time chart.
Dembelé then scored one of his own in the 66th minute. Olise provided the ball after cutting past two defenders, and Dembelé finished into the far corner for his first-ever goal at a major international tournament. Mbappé went close to a hat-trick late on before being substituted off to a standing ovation. France are through. The Mbappé-Messi record race is the subplot of this tournament.
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Norway 3-2 Senegal — New Jersey, 5:30 AM IST
Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, brought on in the 12th minute after Julian Ryerson’s injury, capitalised on a Kalidou Koulibaly error to open the scoring in the 43rd minute. Martin Ødegaard’s inch-perfect pass then sent Erling Haaland clear just after the restart, and the Manchester City striker buried it. 2-0.
Senegal hit back through Ismaïla Sarr, set up by a clever Sadío Mané flick. Haaland restored the two-goal cushion with a one-touch volley off a Patrick Berg cross. But Senegal kept coming — goalkeeper Édouard Mendy went off injured in the 63rd minute, and in the third minute of added time, Sarr scored his second to make it 3-2. Norway held on. They are through to the Round of 32.
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Algeria 2-1 Jordan — San Francisco Bay Area, 8:30 AM IST
Jordan were magnificent for an hour. Nizar Al-Rashdan’s outside-of-the-boot finish in the 36th minute gave tournament debutants their lead, and they defended it with composure through half-time. Then Algeria’s coach Vladimir Petkovıć sent on Nadhir Benbouali, who rose above the defence to head home a Riyad Mahrez delivery from a corner in the 68th minute. Equaliser.
Amine Gouiri flicked home the winner from a goalmouth scramble in the 81st minute. A tense VAR review confirmed he was onside. Algeria are through. Jordan are eliminated — but they leave with a goal in both matches and the respect of everyone who watched them compete.
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The Day’s Talking Points
Messi at 18, Mbappé at 16 — the two greatest goalscorers of their generation are now separated by two goals in the second group stage matchday. Both have at least one more group game to play. The conversation about who finishes this tournament with more goals is the one every football fan will be having for the next three weeks.
Norway are building quietly. Haaland has goals in back-to-back matches. Ødegaard is controlling games. Pedersen came off the bench and scored. This is a team with more depth than their seeding suggests, and the Round of 32 will not be straightforward for whoever draws them.
Jordan leave with their heads high. Their World Cup debut was not without quality. The experience will matter.
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