World Cup record goalscorer
Miroslav Klose expects to be dethroned
01/09/2026 – 07:51 amReading time: 1 min.
Miroslav Klose has scored a total of 16 goals at World Cups. This makes him the competition’s record goalscorer. But he believes that will change soon.
Four World Cups, 16 goals: That is Miroslav Klose’s record between 2002 and 2014. This makes him the World Cup record goalscorer to this day. But in the “Bild” newspaper, Klose commented on a possible dethronement as number one. “I knew the record would fall at some point,” he said. The current coach of 1. FC Nürnberg is keeping his fingers crossed for an Argentinian: “I’m a brutal Messi fan. If so, then I would wish it on him.”
Messi, who has already scored 13 World Cup goals in five tournaments, could not only break Klose’s record at the upcoming World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, but also extend the record for most World Cup appearances.
This is currently what he and Cristiano Ronaldo are aiming for, both of whom are hoping for their sixth tournament. But Kylian Mbappé has even better chances. The Frenchman already has twelve goals to his name and is only 27 years old.
Another record that Messi already holds is the record for most World Cup games. Since his appearance in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar against France, he has appeared in 26 matches and has replaced Lothar Matthäus as the record holder. Klose, on the other hand, can look forward to another record: he is the only player to have played in four World Cup semi-finals. Messi and Mbappé have only reached two semi-finals so far.