Miroslav Klose congratulates ‘best footballer of all time’ Messi
Lionel Messi has set a new World Cup record after scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria on Monday night, taking his tally to 18 goals in the tournament’s history.
The Argentine captain moved past Germany legend Miroslav Klose’s previous joint record of 16 goals to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.
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The goals also saw Messi surpass Brazil’s Marta, who holds the Women’s World Cup record with 17 goals.
The record-breaking performance in Dallas further strengthened Argentina’s campaign.
Following the milestone, Klose congratulated Messi and hailed him as the greatest of all time.
“For me, Lionel Messi is the best footballer of all time. Congratulations, champion,” Klose said in remarks quoted by German media outlet Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Messi has now scored in five of his six World Cup appearances, with his only goalless tournament coming in South Africa 2010. He has five goals in the current edition.
French star Kylian Mbappé remains the closest active challenger with 14 goals, followed by England captain Harry Kane on 10 and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo on 8.
At 38, turning 39 on June 24, Messi continues to redefine longevity at the highest level as Argentina pursue another World Cup title.
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