Former Germany striker Miroslav Klose has reacted to Lionel Messi equalling his record for most goals in World Cup tournaments. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The Argentine reached the 16-goal mark after a hat-trick in the 2026 World Cup first-round match against Algeria. The match ended with a 3-0 victory for the reigning world champions, with Messi scoring all three goals for his team.
Klose, whose record stood for 12 years, said he has no objection to Messi potentially breaking the record.
"I have nothing against Messi catching me in goals. Records are made to be broken. And I would be happy if Messi did it. I have always been a big fan of Messi: he is a genius," Klose was quoted as saying by Diario Ole on X.
For Messi, the match against Algeria was historic for several reasons. He played his 200th game for Argentina, scored his first hat-trick in World Cup final tournaments, and equalled the all-time top scorer in World Cup history.
Before the Algeria game, Messi trailed Gerd Müller (14), Kylian Mbappé (14), and Ronaldo (15), but three goals allowed him to surpass them and catch Klose. Now both have 16 goals in World Cups. The next goal will make the Argentine the sole record holder.
Messi's next chance to take the lead will be on June 22, when Argentina plays Austria in the second round of Group J.
Today at the 2026 World Cup, matches in Groups K and L will take place: Portugal vs. DR Congo, Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, England vs. Croatia, and Ghana vs. Panama.