New Delhi: The 12th day of the FIFA World Cup 2026 delivered memorable moments, headlined by Lionel Messi’s record breaking performance as Argentina secured qualification for the Round of 32. France and Norway also confirmed their places in the knockout stage following convincing victories, while Algeria kept their campaign alive with a dramatic comeback win.
Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria saw Messi become the highest goal scorer in FIFA World Cup history. Having already matched the previous record of 16 goals in the tournament, the Argentine captain surpassed it with a brace that took his tally to 18 World Cup goals. The milestone performance came after an early setback when he missed a penalty in the opening minutes. However, the veteran forward responded in style, scoring twice to guide Argentina into the next round and further strengthen his legendary status in the game.
France also booked their place in the Round of 32 after defeating Iraq 3-0 in a match heavily affected by severe weather conditions. The encounter in Philadelphia was interrupted by a lengthy storm delay and took nearly four hours to complete. Kylian Mbappe marked his 100th appearance for France with two goals, opening the scoring before the stoppage and adding another after play resumed. Ousmane Dembele completed the victory with France’s third goal.
Norway continued their impressive run with a thrilling 3-2 win over Senegal. Erling Haaland scored twice, taking his international tally to 59 goals in just 52 appearances. The result secured Norway’s progression and marked the first time the nation has won consecutive matches at a World Cup. They will now face France to determine the Group I winners.
In another key result, Algeria came from behind to defeat Jordan 2-1. After falling behind to an early goal, Algeria fought back through Amine Gouiri before Nadhir Benbouali struck a late winner. The victory keeps their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive heading into their decisive final group match against Austria.
