Messi's three goals in Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria on June 16 brought him level with Klose's longstanding record of 16 World Cup goals across all tournaments. 'I have nothing against Messi catching me on goals,' Klose told Ole. 'Records are made to be broken, and I would be happy if Messi did it. I have always been a great fan of Messi: he is a genius.'
Klose's record had stood since the 2014 World Cup, when the German striker retired from international football as the competition's all-time leading goalscorer at that time. Klose competed in four World Cup tournaments spanning 2002 to 2014, accumulating his 16 goals across those appearances.
The updated World Cup goalscoring rankings now place Messi and Klose in joint first with 16 goals, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo on 15, and Gerd Müller and Kylian Mbappé tied on 14 goals each. At 39, Messi became the first male player to compete in six separate World Cup tournaments, demonstrating sustained excellence across decades of international football.
Messi's record-breaking hat-trick and tournament form position him as a contender for the Golden Boot and major individual awards. His early-tournament pace will influence odds across major awards markets, with betting exchanges likely to adjust pricing for individual achievements and tournament glory.
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