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Argentina’s Lionel Messi has broken the record for the most goals in World Cup history with 18 goals after a brace in a win against Austria.

The defending champions won 2-0 after a hard fought game against Austria, but were able to get the win after Messi scored in both halves of the game.

Messi, who is widely regarded as the greatest footballer ever surpassed Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals.

Argentina now have two wins in two games and have qualified for the next round as they look to successfully defend the title.

Meanwhile Austria will look to seal their qualification to the next round in their last game against Algeria.

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Mohamed Salah has described his country’s 3-1 victory over New Zealand at the FIFA World Cup 2026 as one of the most significant moments in Egyptian football history, after the Pharaohs secured their first-ever win at the global tournament.
Salah, who has carried the hopes of a football-mad nation for more than a decade, could barely contain his emotions after Egypt overturned a first-half deficit to defeat the Oceania side and keep alive their hopes of finishing top of Group G.

For a nation that has dominated African football with a record seven Africa Cup of Nations titles but struggled to make an impact on the World Cup stage, the victory represented a long-awaited breakthrough.
Speaking after the match, Salah reflected on the significance of the achievement and challenged his teammates to build on the result.
“I told the players before the game that they could write history today,” Salah said.

“This is our first World Cup win ever. If we can qualify as group winners in the next game, it will be remembered for years to come.”

The result marked a historic moment for Egyptian football, ending decades of frustration on the world’s biggest stage. Despite their pedigree in Africa, Egypt had previously failed to register a victory at the World Cup, with past appearances yielding disappointment rather than celebration.

Salah, who has been a fixture in the national team for 14 years, said the victory was particularly satisfying because of the sacrifices made by generations of Egyptian players.

“I always try to give my best to the national team and share my experience with the younger players,” he said. “We have reached the Africa Cup finals before and came close to winning trophies, but this is something special.”
The match itself was far from straightforward.
New Zealand stunned Egypt by taking the lead and looked capable of pulling off a major upset after a disciplined and energetic first-half display. The Kiwis, who had drawn their opening match, once again demonstrated resilience and organisation, forcing Egypt to dig deep.
However, the Pharaohs emerged transformed after the break, showing the determination and mental strength that Salah later praised.

“They scored first and were very sharp in the first half,” the Egyptian captain said.
“But in the second half, we came back into the game and showed strong mentality.”

Egypt’s quality eventually shone through as they struck three times to seal a memorable victory and move into a strong position heading into their final group fixture.
Despite the defeat, Salah reserved praise for the New Zealand side, describing them as a team capable of competing at the highest level.
“It is a very good team with good players,” he said. “Many of them play in Europe.

They are mentally strong and physically strong. They made it very difficult for us.”
While celebrations erupted among Egyptian supporters, Salah’s thoughts also turned to teammate Hossam, who appeared to suffer a concussion during the encounter.

“As captain, I try to check on everybody,” Salah revealed. “I was worried about him and wanted to make sure he was okay.”

The victory places Egypt on the brink of an even greater achievement. Having already secured a point against Belgium in their opening match, the Pharaohs now have an opportunity to finish top of Group G when they face Iran in their final group game.
For Salah, however, the occasion was about more than points or standings. It was about creating a moment that millions of Egyptians could cherish.
“For other countries, winning World Cup games may happen often,” he said. “For us, it doesn’t happen often. This is history for Egypt.”
Egypt now stands one match away from another piece of history. Should the Pharaohs defeat Iran and finish as Group G winners, the team would further cement its place among the country’s greatest football generations.

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Spain got their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign back on track in emphatic fashion with a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia, inspired by teenage star Lamine Yamal, who became the nation’s second-youngest World Cup goalscorer.

The Barcelona teenager had been a second-half substitute in Spain’s opening Group H game against Cape Verde. Still, he was unable to inspire his side to victory as the 2010 winners laboured to a deeply frustrating goalless draw.

As expected, the 18-year-old was restored to manager Luis de la Fuente’s starting line-up against Saudi Arabia – and he wasted little time in making his mark.

Mikel Oyarzabal’s low cross from the left evaded Saudi Arabia defender Hassan Al Tambakti before being tapped in at the far post by Lamine Yamal, who became only the second player aged 18 or younger – after Pele in 1958 – to open the scoring in a World Cup match.

Reluctant to rest on their laurels, Spain continued to swarm forward and doubled their lead through Oyarzabal, who finished low past goalkeeper Mohammad Al-Owais after Saudi Arabia had failed to clear a corner.

The Real Sociedad forward scored his second just three minutes later, sweeping home Dani Olmo’s flick-on at the far post to all but end the game as a contest.

Oyarzabal nearly completed his hat-trick with 10 minutes of the first half remaining, but he could only strike the crossbar after intercepting Al-Owais’ stray pass.

Lamine Yamal and Oyarzabal were both taken off at the interval, but their withdrawals did little to disrupt Spain’s rhythm as De la Fuente’s team continued to pin Saudi Arabia back in the second half.

Al-Owais was equal to Marc Cucurella’s powerful effort three minutes after the restart, only for the ball to rebound off Al Tambakti and into the back of the net to make it 4-0.

Spain took their foot off the gas a little after that, although half-time substitute Ferran Torres almost extended their advantage when he dragged a shot wide after being played through on goal.

Abdullah Al Hamdan registered Saudi Arabia’s only effort on target with 10 minutes remaining, before Torres had a goal disallowed for offside – following a lengthy check by the video assistant referee – deep into stoppage time.

After his lively cameo against Cape Verde on Monday, it would have been a major surprise not to see Lamine Yamal’s name in De la Fuente’s starting XI against Atalanta.

As was the case against the tournament debutants, an expectant buzz swept through the stadium whenever the ball fell to the youngster.

He has only recently recovered from a hamstring injury, but barely allowed Saudi Arabia wing-back Moteb Al-Harbi a moment’s peace early on.

His 10th-minute finish laid the foundation for a relentless first-half performance from the 2024 European champions, who could have gone into half-time with a much more handsome lead after mustering 17 attempts in the opening 45 minutes.

Oyarzabal – who didn’t touch the ball once in the first 30 minutes against Cape Verde – enjoyed a remarkable first half, becoming only the second player on record to register three direct goal involvements in the opening 25 minutes of a World Cup game, after Hungary’s Laszlo Fazekas in 1982.

While there was an element of fortune about Al Tambakti’s own goal, Spain’s four-goal lead after only 49 minutes offered an accurate reflection of their total dominance against the Green Falcons.

Georgios Donis’ side will have been relieved to avoid further damage. It will now need a positive result against Cape Verde in their final group match to avoid a sixth group-stage exit since the 1994 tournament in the USA.

As for Spain, they move top of Group H with four points from their opening two games – and will head into their game against Uruguay brimming with confidence.

Spain concludes their group campaign against Uruguay in Guadalajara, while Saudi Arabia takes on Cape Verde in Houston. Both games kick off at 01:00 BST on Saturday, 27 June.