Lionel Messi set a new World Cup scoring record by netting his 17th goal for Argentina in their match against Austria on Monday, just about 30 minutes after missing a penalty kick.

The milestone goal gave defending champions Argentina a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute, coming two days before Messi’s 39th birthday and amid concerns over his father’s illness back home.

The goal also marked the sixth consecutive World Cup match in which Messi has scored, placing him alongside France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho as the only players to achieve such a streak.

Messi had earlier missed a chance to break the record in the ninth minute when his penalty attempt went narrowly wide of the right post. He has now converted four of seven World Cup penalty kicks in regulation time, including misses in three straight tournaments.

The penalty was awarded after Lautaro Martinez was brought down in the box following a challenge involving Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch, with Posch judged to have committed the foul. Play continued briefly before officials reviewed the incident.

Messi had previously equaled Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals with a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria in the Group J opener. That performance came in his 200th international appearance and on the 20th anniversary of his World Cup debut.

The match also marked Messi’s 28th appearance in FIFA World Cup history, a tournament record, surpassing Klose’s 24 matches.

Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, 68, has been undergoing medical treatment for an undisclosed illness, according to a family statement, and has played an important role in the star’s career as his agent and advisor.

The Argentina captain had previously spoken emotionally after earlier matches, saying personal difficulties off the field had affected him.