‘I would be happy if it were Messi’: Klose on Argentine star and Mbappe surpassing his World Cup scoring record

As Lionel Messi prepares for what will almost certainly be the final World Cup campaign of his legendary career, his primary mission is to defend the global crown Argentina won in Qatar. However, along the way, the Argentine icon has a massive individual milestone within reach: breaking Miroslav Klose’s historic all-time World Cup scoring record. To make things even more dramatic, France’s Kylian Mbappe is breathing down both of their necks.

Klose currently sits at the absolute peak of the tournament’s history with 16 goals scored across four separate World Cups. Messi stands as the closest active challenger, possessing 13 goals across five previous editions, meaning he needs just three goals to equal the German icon. Right behind him is Mbappe, who has remarkably racked up 12 World Cup goals in just two tournaments.

With his legendary benchmark under heavy threat in North America, Klose openly admitted that it is simply a matter of time before a new name claims the crown. “I am sure that my World Cup scoring record will be broken soon. Either Lionel Messi gets it at this World Cup, or at the very latest, Kylian Mbappe does it in the next one,” Klose noted in an exclusive interview with Sport Bild.

Far from being protective of his status, the former Bayern Munich and Lazio striker is completely at peace with his record falling. While acknowledging that both superstars possess the lethal finishing required to eclipse his 16-goal tally, Klose admitted he is privately rooting for the Argentine captain to take the mantle.

“I am totally relaxed about this, I just let things take their course. If it has to happen, it will happen. I would be really happy if it were Messi, because I value him so highly as a player,” Klose added.

Another landmark Klose record under threat

The all-time goalscoring crown isn’t the only piece of World Cup history that Klose could lose to Messi over the next few weeks. The clinical German striker also holds the all-time record for the most individual match victories in tournament history, sitting on 17 wins.

Once again, Messi is on the absolute precipice of overtaking him. The Inter Miami star currently possesses 16 career World Cup match victories—meaning a single win during Argentina’s group stage matchups against Algeria, Austria, or Jordan will pull him level with Klose.

While Messi is the immediate threat, Mbappe and German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer are also within striking distance, each holding 11 tournament victories. Further down the pecking order sits Cristiano Ronaldo, who enters his sixth World Cup with 10 match wins under his belt.