Antonela Roccuzzo Pays Emotional Tribute to Messi After World Cup Record-Breaking Brace Against Austria

Lionel Messi’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign reached a historic milestone on 22 June, when the 38-year-old Argentine forward scored twice against Austria in a 2-0 victory to surpass Miroslav Klose’s long-standing World Cup record of 16 goals — a tally the German striker set across four tournaments between 2002 and 2014.

The record-breaking performance was made all the more remarkable by the context in which it unfolded. Messi had missed a penalty earlier in the match before recovering to net a brace, earning the Man of the Match award in the process. The goals moved him clear atop the all-time World Cup scoring charts, ending a 12-year wait for Klose’s record to be broken.

Among those watching from the stands at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, was Antonela Roccuzzo, Messi’s wife and childhood sweetheart. Following the final whistle, Roccuzzo — who has over 39 million followers on Instagram — shared a carousel of photographs taken from the stands documenting the occasion.

The images included the couple’s three sons, Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro, dressed in Argentina‘s Adidas away kit as they celebrated their father’s record-breaking night. One photograph showed Antonela alongside the boys, while another captured her wearing Messi’s number 10 shirt.

It was her accompanying caption, however, that drew widespread attention online. “What a privilege to see you make history again and again. Te amo @leomessi !!!” Roccuzzo wrote, offering what many described as the most personal perspective on the achievement amid a wave of global reaction to Messi’s feat.

Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, is competing at what is widely expected to be his final World Cup. Argentina entered the 2026 tournament as defending champions, having claimed the title at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar — a victory that completed the one major trophy missing from Messi’s individual collection. His record-breaking brace against Austria adds another statistical landmark to a career that has already spanned more than two decades at the highest level.

Klose’s record had stood since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where the forward ended his international career with 16 goals across 24 World Cup appearances spanning Germany’s campaigns in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. Messi’s total now exceeds that benchmark, with Argentina yet to complete the group stage of the 2026 edition.

Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria continued their progression in the tournament, with Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland among the leading contenders for the Golden Boot as the group stage draws toward its conclusion.