Miroslav Klose has sent a classy message to Lionel Messi after the Argentine icon officially surpassed him as the highest goalscorer in World Cup history. The 38-year-old climbed to the top of the mountain alone following a clinical performance against Austria as the defending champions continued their pursuit of more glory.
German legend Klose was quick to offer his praise to Messi after seeing his long-standing record finally fall. Klose, who retired with 16 goals on the world's biggest stage, was full of admiration for the Inter Miami star, who scored a double to fire Argentina to a 2-0 win against Austria on Monday.
"I've always said Messi is no slouch," the 48-year-old said. "For me, Leo is the best footballer of all time! Congratulations, champion!".
The former Bayern Munich striker had held the top spot since the 2014 tournament, but he admitted that he was happy to see a player of Messi’s calibre take the mantle.
Before the 2026 edition kicked off, the German marksman predicted that his tally would be bettered. "That's perfectly fine, the record will be broken eventually anyway, and then Messi is welcome to do it. I'm a big fan of Messi, always have been," said Klose.
Messi entered the clash against Austria having already equalled Klose's mark of 16 goals thanks to a sensational hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 opening victory against Algeria. In a high-stakes encounter in Dallas, he moved clear of the pack by scoring a brace that saw him surpass Klose's long-standing record.
The record-breaking moment arrived in the 38th minute, when Messi found the net to claim his 17th World Cup goal. The night ended on an even higher note for the captain, as Messi claimed a deserved another goal in the dying seconds to take his career total in the competition to 18. The result ensures Argentina's progression to the knockout rounds with a match to spare.
The historic night almost started on a sour note for the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. In the ninth minute, Argentina were awarded a penalty, but Messi uncharacteristically missed the target from the spot. However, the veteran forward refused to let the setback affect his game, eventually finding the breakthrough later in the first half to settle nerves.
"The truth is that it is spectacular how it happened," Messi admitted after the game. "Today I had the penalty that I could have increased the score with, but if I had made the penalty, perhaps I wouldn't have reached the other two either. You never know, but I'm happy with the result, the participation, and the work of the team."
