Messi breaks World Cup scoring record as Argentina and France advance to knockouts

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is in full swing, with group stage matches continuing daily across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The tournament, which began on June 11, has seen several teams secure their spots in the knockout rounds.

Argentina's Lionel Messi made history on June 22, breaking the World Cup's all-time scoring record with two goals against Austria, which propelled his team into the last 16. Co-hosts USA also advanced to the Round of 32 after topping Group D with decisive wins over Paraguay and Australia.

France, led by Kylian Mbappe, secured their passage to the knockout stage with a 3-0 victory over Iraq on June 23, in a match that experienced a lightning delay. Elsewhere, Algeria rallied late to eliminate Jordan, and Norway, featuring Erling Haaland, advanced by defeating Senegal.

USA coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed the emotional impact of the tournament on home soil. > "Even if I'm not American, after the game I was emotional because I think the atmosphere was amazing, the fans were amazing," Pochettino said after the USA's victory in Seattle. "The warm reception, the way they support us and the way they celebrate the victory, they make it feel very emotional, and the players were very emotional too."

Social media buzz highlighted the pride of fans, with r/soccer users celebrating Messi's record-breaking performance and the advancements of their national teams. There was also discussion on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) about the tournament's expanded format and the performance of the new adidas Trionda ball, with some pundits like Joe Hart claiming "something's up" with it after seeing similar goals "way too many times."