Messi Makes World Cup History as Egypt Claim Their Finest Hour

Lionel Messi wrote another extraordinary chapter in his career on Monday, scoring twice as Argentina beat Austria 2-0 in Dallas to become the all-time leading scorer in men's World Cup history. It is a record that may stand forever, and it arrived on the grandest stage — the tournament where Messi finally claimed the one honour that had eluded him. Argentina's joy was tempered only by uncertainty over Cristian Romero, whose knee injury left coach Lionel Scaloni awaiting test results.

Elsewhere, Egypt provided the day's most emotional story. Mohamed Salah inspired a second-half comeback to beat New Zealand 3-1, turning a one-goal deficit into a 3-1 victory and delivering his country's first-ever World Cup win. Egypt now sit top of Group G, with a genuine chance of reaching the knockout stage for the first time in their history. It was the kind of result that transcends a single match.

Cape Verde continued their remarkable debut campaign, holding two-time champions Uruguay to a draw in Miami — further evidence that this tournament is producing its share of surprises. The day also revisited the chaos of South Africa's double red card against Mexico, the incident that defined the opening match of the 2026 World Cup and left both sides finishing with nine and ten men respectively.