Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Former Germany star Miroslav Klose expects his World Cup goalscoring record to fall in 2026 and hopes Lionel Messi will be the one to break it.
Klose is the top scorer at the World Cup, with 16 goals in 24 matches – all 16 goals were scored from inside the box, including seven headers.
Despite not scoring in the two finals he played (2002, 2014), five of his goals came in the knockout stages. His last goal in the tournament came in Germany’s 7-1 win against Brazil in the 2014 semi-finals.
His closest challenger is Messi, who has netted 13 goals in his record 26 appearances at the tournament, and he will have that record in his sights as he prepares to play in a sixth World Cup.
The Argentina captain recorded the joint-most goal involvements at the 2022 World Cup (10 – seven goals, three assists) as he led the team to the trophy.
But he is not the only player who will want to have his name beside this particular record, with Kylian Mbappe, who has scored more goals (12) and recorded more goal involvements (14) than any other player across the previous two World Cups, including a hat-trick in the 2022 final.
Klose took the record off Ronaldo Nazario in 2014, but he does not expect to still be the leader in this metric come the end of the 2026 tournament.
“I expect my record to be broken at this World Cup,” he told Suddeutsche Zeitung.
“This is an expanded edition; there are more matches and therefore more opportunities to score.
“Both Messi and Mbappe will go far, and that is absolutely fine; the record was always going to be broken eventually.
“If it happens, I would be pleased if it were Messi. I have always been a huge fan of his; he is a genius.”
Argentina get their World Cup campaign underway on June 16 against Algeria in Group J, with France kicking off against Senegal.
UEFA Women’s Champions League News
‘Bring it on’ – Bright sets sights on glory after Chelsea’s Champions League comeback
Premier League News
‘Best is yet to come’ for Fulham, says Silva
UEFA Conference League News
‘Chelsea fans have to trust us’ – Maresca issues rallying cry to Blues’ faithful
UEFA Conference League News
‘Chelsea are back’ if they win Europa Conference League, Maresca insists
UEFA Nations League News
‘Every Portugal player’ wants to see Ronaldo win World Cup – Dalot
Premier League News
‘Every point is expensive’ in the Premier League, says Iraola
We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By using our website you agree to our use of cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
