Argentina's Lionel Messi makes history in Arlington
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Lionel Messi celebrates Monday after scoring Argentina's first goal against Austria at Dallas Stadium. Photo: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Lionel Messi needed only one goal at Dallas Stadium on Monday to become the lone top goal scorer in World Cup history.
- He blasted past the record, scoring twice — and vaulting Argentina past Austria 2-0.
Why it matters: Just two days before his 39th birthday, Messi further cemented his legacy as the greatest of all time.
Catch up quick: Messi scored a hat trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria last week, tying Germany's Miroslav Klose for the World Cup record.
Vibe check: Argentina fans with and without tickets lined the streets near Dallas Stadium on Monday to welcome the team's bus to the game, chanting folk songs and dancing in huddles.
- "Messi is an icon in football, so it's awesome that he's here in our city and that we got the chance and the luck to see him in person," Gabriel Bayona, a Fort Worth resident who attended the game with his family, told Axios.
The other side: Though they were outnumbered Monday, Austria's fans turned an end zone into a sea of red, waving flags and chanting songs that echoed throughout the stadium.
- "We're proud to support our team, and it's a great moment for us to be here," said Karl Schrammel, who traveled from Vienna to experience his first World Cup match.
State of play: Messi's history-making goal was a slow burn. He missed a penalty kick early in the game before scoring his 17th-ever World Cup goal in the 38th minute. He scored again during second-half injury time.
- Ruben Szlachciuk, an Argentina native who lives in Sacramento, California, described seeing Messi make history as an "unreal, unbelievable" memory that will stay with him forever.
- "In Argentina, when we were kids, we used to go to the stadiums and there were wooden stands. It was not like this," Szlachciuk said, pointing to Dallas Stadium's modern-style seats.
The intrigue: Messi stayed on the field after the match to shake hands and wave at fans, who reciprocated the love by singing Argentine songs in his honor.
- "We enjoy seeing people like this too and being able to give them this kind of joy," Messi said in a post-game interview in Spanish.
What's next: Argentina will play Jordan in Arlington on Saturday.