Lionel Messi has written his name into the history books as the all-time leading goalscorer in men's World Cup football, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose with his 17th goal in the competition.

The Argentina captain reached the milestone during his side's Group J clash against Austria on Monday, breaking the tie he had shared with Klose and standing alone at the top of the all-time scoring charts.

Klose had long held the record, having netted 16 goals across four World Cup tournaments with Germany. Messi now moves beyond that mark, cementing his legacy as the defining player of his generation on football's grandest stage.