'Privilege’ - Antonela reacts to watching Messi make WC history

Lionel Messi Antonela 2026 World Cup history goals

Antonela Roccuzzo took to social media to celebrate her husband Lionel Messi after the Argentina captain broke the all-time World Cup goalscoring record. Watched by his proud family in Dallas, the forward scored twice in a thrilling 2-0 victory over Austria, taking his tournament tally to 18 goals and surpassing Miroslav Klose to make football history.

Celebrating a historic milestone

Roccuzzo shared her immense pride on Instagram after watching Messi cement his legacy at the highest level of international football. She posted a heartwarming picture from the stands featuring herself alongside their three sons, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro, who were all proudly wearing Argentina shirts with their father's famous number 10 on the back.

The family had a front-row seat in Dallas as Messi overcame an early penalty miss to score two crucial goals in a 2-0 win against Austria. Accompanying the family photograph, Roccuzzo wrote a touching caption that read: "What a privilege to see you make history again and again. I love you @leomessi !!!"

Overcoming early penalty frustration

Messi experienced a challenging start to the match when he uncharacteristically missed an eighth-minute penalty, dragging his effort wide of the post. The missed spot-kick left Messi feeling visibly frustrated, marking his third failure from the spot in tournament history outside of shootouts. However, Messi quickly regained his composure to lead Argentina to a vital victory.

He broke the deadlock before the half-time interval and then secured the result with a clinical strike deep into second-half stoppage time. Those two goals elevated his overall tally to 18 World Cup goals, moving him past Klose to stand alone as the most prolific goalscorer in the history of the competition.

Argentina march into knockout stages

The clinical performance from Messi guided Argentina to the summit of Group J, relieving immense pressure ahead of their final group assignment. Argentina have now successfully secured their passage to the knockout rounds of the tournament, collecting six points from their opening two fixtures. Messi admitted after the game that securing early qualification was a primary objective for the squad, allowing them to approach their final group stage match with a sense of calm.

The reigning champions have demonstrated their resilience and determination to defend their title, with Messi remaining the focal point of their attacking operations.

Argentina v Austria: Group J - FIFA World Cup 2026

What is next for Argentina?

Argentina will conclude their group stage campaign with a final match against Jordan on Saturday. With progression already guaranteed, head coach Lionel Scaloni has the luxury of rotating his squad to rest key players like Messi before the knockout phases begin. A projected round-of-32 clash against the runners-up of Group H looms large, potentially setting up a blockbuster early meeting with European heavyweights Spain, who are competing in a group alongside Uruguay, Cabo Verde and Saudi Arabia.