Lionel Messi becomes World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer as Argentina beat Austria

Lionel Messi missed a penalty. Minutes later, he scored his 16th World Cup goal, then his 17th. The Argentina captain walked off the pitch in Philadelphia having rewritten history: no player has scored more goals at the World Cup. His double against Austria secured a 2-0 win for the holders and sent them into the last 32, but the night belonged to the 38-year-old's relentless pursuit of a record that had stood for a decade. Messi's 17th tournament goal surpassed Germany legend Miroslav Klose's mark of 16, a feat achieved despite a rare spot-kick miss that briefly threatened to derail the evening. The milestone came on a day when severe weather forced FIFA into an emergency decision elsewhere. The Group I match between France and Iraq was suspended at half-time in Philadelphia after torrential rain and dangerous lightning swept the stadium. Spectators evacuated the open seating bowl, and play was delayed for over two hours before resuming. The storm also prompted FIFA to cancel the mandatory three-minute second-half hydration break during that game, citing substantial moisture on the pitch and altered stadium conditions. Hydration breaks, introduced by FIFA across all 104 matches to combat extreme North American summer heat, have drawn fierce criticism from fans and pundits. Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk argued that the mandatory pauses disrupt a game's natural momentum and are primarily used to show television adverts. The controversy over drinks breaks rumbles on, but for one evening, all attention fell on Messi's name at the top of the scoring charts. Argentina, the defending champions, now advance with maximum points from their opening two games. What comes next for the record-breaker remains to be seen, but history has already been rewritten.