What Miroslav Klose said to Lionel Messi just days before his World Cup goal record was passed
Lionel Messi has just broken Miroslav Klose’s record to become the top goal scorer in World Cup history! The Argentina star scored in the first half against Austria in their Group J match, making it his 17th World Cup goal.
Messi began the tournament three goals behind Klose’s record of 16, but caught up quickly by scoring a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria. This record-breaking goal was classic Messi—he found space near the box, sprinted forward, and fired a perfect left-footed shot past Austria’s goalkeeper, Alexander Schlager.
After scoring, Messi ran over to celebrate with the Argentina fans at Dallas Stadium and was surrounded by his teammates. He actually missed an earlier chance in the match by slipping a penalty wide, but that just postponed the record-breaking moment. Now 38 years old, Messi stands alone as the greatest World Cup goal scorer ever.
And he didn’t stop there—Messi scored again in the second half, securing a 2-0 win for Argentina. Klose, who set the record in 2014 while winning the World Cup with Germany, wasn’t surprised Messi would break it. Back in June, Klose told a German newspaper that he expected his record to be broken and called Messi a “genius.” He even shared how he’s good friends with Argentina’s coach, Lionel Scaloni.
With the World Cup now featuring 48 teams instead of 32, it’s no wonder records like this may fall. It’s great to see new teams like Curacao make their World Cup debuts, showing how the sport is growing.
But Messi’s reign as top scorer might not last long—France’s captain, Kylian Mbappe, is only four goals behind with 14 so far. Mbappe has scored those goals in just 15 games, averaging nearly one goal per match. He could add to his tally when France plays Iraq later on Monday.
However, that game might face some weather issues. Forecasters have issued a First Alert warning for heavy rain, strong winds, and even a possible tornado at Philadelphia Stadium. If the match gets stopped due to lightning, FIFA rules say the game will resume from where it left off on a later date. So Mbappe might have to wait a bit longer to try and catch Messi, depending on the weather.