Klose hails 'greatest of all time' Messi after World Cup scoring record falls

Germany's Miroslav Klose offered his congratulations to Lionel Messi after the Argentine superstar scored his 18th World Cup goal Monday, setting a new all-time record and surpassing the mark Klose had long held.

Messi scored twice against Austria in Argentina's Group J match at the 2026 World Cup, vaulting past Klose's previous record of 16 goals. He has now scored five goals in two matches at this tournament.

Klose, Germany's all-time leading scorer with 71 goals in 137 appearances and the man who led the national team to the 2014 World Cup title, watched the record-breaking moment in real time. The Bundesliga's official website, citing an interview Klose gave to the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, quoted the Nuremberg head coach as saying: "For me, Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time. Congratulations, champion!"

The German football legend appeared in four World Cups — 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 — scoring 16 goals in 24 matches. He won the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer at the 2006 edition.

Messi made his World Cup debut at the 2006 tournament in Germany and has scored at every edition since, with the exception of 2010. He has now appeared in 28 World Cup matches, extending his own record for most appearances in the competition. Against Austria, he also accounted for all five of Argentina's goals at this tournament, underlining his indispensable role in the defending champions' campaign.