Lionel Messi has etched his name further into football history after becoming the highest-scoring player in FIFA World Cup history, taking his tally to 17 goals with Argentina’s goal against Austria on Monday.

The Argentina captain had previously matched former Germany striker Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals after scoring a hat-trick in his country’s 3-0 victory over Algeria in their opening match of the title defence in North America last week.

Messi surpassed that record in Argentina’s second group match when he calmly finished in the 38th minute, sending the crowd at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, into celebration.

The 38-year-old had earlier missed a penalty during the game before making history with his record-breaking strike.

The goal came during Messi’s sixth World Cup appearance, with his first tournament coming in 2006. He has now scored 121 goals in 201 international appearances for Argentina.

His continued brilliance has boosted Argentina’s hopes of becoming the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the World Cup title.

Messi was emotional after scoring his opening goal against Algeria, with reports later revealing that his father was recovering from an undisclosed health issue.

Despite dealing with personal challenges and entering the tournament after a difficult build-up due to a hamstring concern, Messi’s presence continues to inspire his teammates.

“If anyone thought this group was better off without Leo, today it became clear that Leo is the most important of them all,” midfielder Alexis Mac Allister said after the victory over Algeria.

The Inter Miami forward had not confirmed his participation in the North American tournament until late, but his absence was never seriously expected given his importance to Argentina’s hopes.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star played a key role in leading Argentina to World Cup glory four years ago, and the opportunity to represent his country once again on football’s biggest stage proved too difficult to resist.

Argentina can secure qualification for the next round with a victory over Austria and would guarantee first place in Group J if Jordan fail to defeat Algeria later on Monday.

Following Messi and Klose on the World Cup all-time scoring chart is Brazilian legend Ronaldo, who has 15 goals, while Germany’s Gerd Muller and France forward Kylian Mbappe are next with 14 goals each.