Messi breaks Klose's all-time World Cup scoring record as FIFA strips journalist of credentials

Lionel Messi became the outright top scorer in World Cup history on Tuesday, netting twice in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria to move to 17 tournament goals and surpass the record long held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose. The Argentina captain missed an early penalty before producing the decisive moments that rewrote the record books.

Messi was not the only forward to make headlines on a remarkable day of Group Stage action. Erling Haaland recovered from an embarrassing early miss to score a stunning second-half brace, steering Norway to a 3-2 victory over Senegal. The Manchester City striker joined Messi and Kylian Mbappé in scoring a double on the same day — a coincidence that underlined the extraordinary concentration of attacking talent at this tournament.

Off the pitch, FIFA moved to revoke the press accreditation of Paraguayan broadcaster Jorge Vera after he launched a scathing live on-air attack on the match referee and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The outburst followed the dismissal of Miguel Almiron, who became the first player ever sent off under a new FIFA rule banning players from covering their mouths during confrontations. Vera has since publicly apologised, and his national broadcaster has appealed for leniency.

Weather also intervened in Philadelphia, where the Group I fixture between France and Iraq was suspended at half-time due to torrential rain and dangerous lightning. Spectators were evacuated from the open seating bowl, and play was halted for more than two hours before conditions allowed a restart.

The storm delay prompted a further, more unusual decision from football’s governing body: FIFA cancelled the mandatory three-minute second-half hydration break for the France vs Iraq match, citing the altered pitch conditions left by the prolonged downpour. The hydration breaks — introduced across all 104 matches to address extreme North American summer heat — have already attracted significant criticism from fans and pundits. Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk is among those who have argued that the mandatory pauses disrupt the natural rhythm of matches and serve primarily as windows for television advertising.

On a more personal note, Belgium winger Jeremy Doku was granted permission to leave the squad’s training camp for a short-notice flight to London, where he welcomed the birth of his first child, a boy named Praise. Doku is scheduled to return to the squad ahead of Belgium’s next fixture.