Alphabet-owned Google set a new search traffic record during the FIFA World Cup, driven by intense global interest in Tuesday’s knockout-stage match.

Argentina staged a dramatic late comeback, with Cristian Romero finding the net before Lionel Messi scored the equaliser in the 83rd minute, helping his side secure victory.

“Google Search broke all prior usage records and saw its highest usage in history right after Argentina scored their winning goal in yesterday’s match” wrote Nick Fox, head of Google’s Knowledge and Information unit Wednesday.

The milestone comes as Google seeks to demonstrate that its traditional search engine remains relevant in the AI era, as chatbots continue to reshape how people access information.

Despite growing competition, Google still commands about 90 per cent of the global search market.

Its share price has more than doubled over the past year, while its first-quarter revenue growth was the strongest recorded since 2022.

According to Google, the top search query following the match was “Argentina vs Egypt.”

Globally, users also searched for phrases such as “Argentina x Colombia” and “How many World Cup goals does Messi have?”

Other trending queries included “What is it called when a player hits another player in a game?” and “is it messi’s last world cup.”