Messi breaks – Lionel Messi marked Monday’s World Cup action with a brace as Argentina beat Austria 2-0, surpassing Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record. Kylian Mbappé answered with two goals in France’s 3-0 win over Iraq, a night marked by delays in Philadelph
By the time the ball settled after the long wait in Philadelphia, the World Cup day had already turned into something people would remember.
Lionel Messi was first to rewrite the record books. The Argentina captain netted two against Austria as his side won 2-0. moving past Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring mark. It was a moment built on accuracy and timing. and it carried the kind of weight that makes everything around it feel briefly quieter—even for a tournament that never really stops roaring.
And just when it looked like Messi’s night would own the headlines from start to finish. Kylian Mbappé stepped into the frame. France faced Iraq in a match that carried a two-hour delay due to severe thunderstorms in Philadelphia. then Mbappé produced again: two more goals in a 3-0 win. cutting into the lead and turning the game into a procession.
Erling Haaland made sure North America stayed awake, too. Norway scored in bunches as it took a crucial Group I game against Senegal. with Haaland adding another brace to keep his own World Cup surge moving. Later on in the same night. Algeria grabbed a much-needed victory against Jordan in Group J. a result that helped the side stay alive.
Messi showing no signs of slowing down
Messi’s rise from early international disappointment to living legend has never followed a straight line. Across his first four World Cups, he found the net only six times in 19 games. Argentina paid for that early lack of World Cup punch through major exits: a 4-0 quarterfinal defeat by Germany in 2010. a 1-0 loss to Germany in the 2014 final. and a 4-3 defeat to France in 2018.
Those heartbreaks weren’t confined to the World Cup either. Messi lost Copa America finals in 2007. 2015 and 2016. and after the latest of those setbacks—an international defeat to Chile—he told reporters he was done with international soccer. Argentina refused to let that stand. A nationwide campaign pushed him back into the picture, and he returned for the 2018 World Cup.
The comeback produced trophies. In 2021, Messi won Argentina’s 15th Copa America. He followed it with the Qatar World Cup in 2022, where he finished the tournament in tears and triumph as Gonzalo Montiel scored the decisive penalty against France.
Now 38 years old, Messi stands at a different kind of summit. The article describes him as having completed soccer. with “nothing left to accomplish. ” and it leans on the proof: he sits atop the all-time scoring table. has scored all five of Argentina’s goals through two games. and holds countless records. Even the conversation about his early international career is treated as something that no longer matters—because what he has done since turning 35 is presented as without comparison.
It also points to a specific statistic from Opta: 24 per cent of the goals scored at the World Cup by players aged 35 or older have been scored by Messi.
Mbappé shining at yet another World Cup
If Messi is the standard, Mbappé is the threat to that legacy. The day’s narrative is built on the idea that Kylian Mbappé may be the one capable of stealing the goal-scoring title from Messi—maybe sooner, maybe later.
Mbappé. 27 years old. is described as looking ready even while his second year at Real Madrid has been filled with drama and turmoil. The focus returns to his national team impact. In his 100th cap for Les Bleus. Mbappé reached the 60-goal mark and brought his World Cup tally to 16. tying Miroslav Klose’s total.
His two-goal output started early. Mbappé opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a left-footed strike from outside the box—across the net and in.
The match didn’t finish like it began. With severe thunderstorms causing a two-hour delay in Philadelphia, play resumed and Mbappé struck again. He scored by capitalizing on a huge mistake by Iraq, punished through a misplaced pass to the keeper.
The broader France picture also changed with his second-half momentum. Reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé added to the scoreline with a goal and an assist, with France’s attacking options finally clicking in a way the article frames as a kind of “embarrassment of riches.”
It took too long to get Haaland to the World Cup
The same day that produced record-breaking Messi moments and Mbappé’s relentless finishing also delivered proof that some stars only need the right stage.
Norway’s win over Senegal is described as crucial, but it’s also treated as a statement: Senegal is framed as one of Africa’s top teams and the 19th-ranked side in the world. Norway, in turn, is presented as a team that belongs after the result.
Erling Haaland’s tournament awakening looked inevitable once it arrived. The striker’s international record—112 goals in 132 appearances for Manchester City—was already a warning sign, but the World Cup gave him something sharper: a platform.
His pattern was familiar. After debuting at the World Cup with a brace against Iraq last week, Haaland repeated it. He opened Norway’s account in the 48th minute on a counterattack, racing past Kalidou Koulibaly and firing home off what looked like the slightest touch with his left foot.
Ten minutes later, he added the winner. He redirected a shot with his right past Édouard Mendy, showing the body control that makes “one chance” feel like it can turn into “three.”
Senegal fought back with Ismaila Sarr scoring a brace in the dying embers, but Norway held on. The article notes that the result booked Norway a ticket to the knockout round, leaving only seeding for what comes next and pointing to a showdown against France.
The day’s final word sits with Messi’s record—and with Mbappé closing fast. It’s a World Cup where the goals aren’t only arriving; they’re stacking, and the gap between the legends keeps getting measured.
World Cup Lionel Messi Kylian Mbappé Erling Haaland Argentina Austria France Iraq Norway Senegal Algeria Jordan Group I Group J Miroslav Klose
Messi just casually broke another record, wild.
The delays in Philadelphia were crazy, like why does it always rain when the World Cup is here. But Messi doing the record thing is honestly expected at this point. Also Mbappé scoring again?? I swear they’re both cheating or something.
Wait, so Mbappé scored two AND they delayed the game for thunderstorms? I thought only Argentina had problems, but I guess it’s both. Klose record is insane though, like how many years ago was that. Honestly I don’t even know where Klose is now lol.
Mbappé vs Iraq, that sounds like a weird matchup on purpose. Like who even picks these teams, seems rigged. And Messi beating Klose by “timing”?? idk, sounds like coaching magic. If the weather caused a 2-hour delay, shouldn’t that count as an advantage for whoever stayed calm? Seems unfair to me.