Argentina captain Lionel Messi broke Diego Maradona’s World Cup goals tally in his side’s 2-1 round-of-16 win against Australia on Saturday.
Messi equalled Maradona’s eight World Cup goals in Argentina’s previous game against Mexico, scoring from distance to set the Albiceleste on their way to a 2-0 win.
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He surpassed the 1986 World Cup winner — and Guillermo Stabile, who scored eight times at the 1930 World Cup — with his ninth goal at the tournament on Saturday.
The landmark effort came in the 35th minute, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead, after he collected a layoff and expertly side-footed the ball low into the net with his famed left foot.
The goal was Messi’s first in the World Cup knockout stages and came on the occasion of his 1,000th game for club and country.
