New Delhi, June 23: Former German forward Miroslav Klose congratulated Lionel Messi after the Argentine star surpassed his record for most goals in World Cup history. Messi scored during Argentina’s 2-0 victory against Austria in Dallas, bringing his total World Cup goals to 18.
With these two goals, Messi has now eclipsed Klose’s record of 16 goals in World Cup tournaments. This achievement occurred during Messi’s sixth FIFA World Cup campaign, making him the first male player to participate in six editions (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026).
The 48-year-old Klose told the German newspaper ‘Süddeutsche Zeitung’, “I have always said that Messi is no ordinary player. For me, Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer of all time. Congratulations, champion!”
Klose held the record for the most goals in World Cups for 12 years, scoring in every tournament from 2002 to 2014. He netted five goals in both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, four in 2010, and two in 2014.
Before the tournament, when it was speculated that Messi might break his record, Klose remarked to FIFA, “Messi is just Messi. I have always admired his ability to solve problems on and off the field, as well as his demeanor.”
Messi has scored one goal in 2006, four in 2014, one in 2018, seven in 2022, and five in the current tournament. He has matched the record for participating in six World Cups, scoring in five of them. His first World Cup goal came in 2006 against Serbia and Montenegro.
So far, this tournament has been exceptional for Messi. He leads the race for the Golden Boot, having scored five goals in Argentina’s first two matches. His campaign kicked off with a hat-trick against Algeria in the opening round, followed by two historic and record-breaking goals against Austria, securing Argentina’s place in the ‘Round of 32’.
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