Klose Says He Hopes Messi Breaks His World Cup Scoring Record

Miroslav Klose, the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer, said he hopes Lionel Messi will break his record at the 2026 tournament. Argentina opens its World Cup campaign against Algeria late Tuesday night into Wednesday at 4:00 a.m., and Klose said he is closely following Messi’s pursuit of the mark.

“He is more than welcome to do it,” Klose said of Messi potentially passing him. “I am a big fan of his, and always have been. Messi is a genius.” The former Germany striker, who scored 16 World Cup goals, said he does not take a selfish view of the record because the expanded tournament creates more matches and more scoring chances.

“I hope my record is broken in this tournament,” he said, adding that he also hopes Argentina and France go far. Klose noted that Kylian Mbappe could also challenge the record. Klose’s overall career totals are 326 goals and 110 assists, alongside a World Cup title, two Bundesliga championships and an Italian Cup.

Messi has scored 13 World Cup goals in five tournaments. One more goal would tie Gerd Muller on 14, two would move him ahead of Ronaldo Nazario on 15, and four would put him past Klose on his own. Klose also praised Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, saying they played together at Lazio and remain friends.