Lionel Messi became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history this Monday and received congratulations from the man he dethroned, former German forward Miroslav Klose, who did not hesitate to label the Argentine as the greatest footballer of all time. The record was broken in Argentina’s second match of the 2026 World Cup against Austria. Messi scored twice in the 2-0 victory for his team, taking sole leadership of the scoring list with a total of 18 goals. It is worth noting that in the opening match of Group J against Algeria, the Argentine star had already scored a hat trick, equaling Klose’s previous record of 16 goals at that time. In statements to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, the former German international, who held the record until the start of this tournament, congratulated his successor. ‘Lionel Messi is, for me, the best football player of all time! Congratulations, champion!’ said Klose. Interestingly, in an interview with the same publication five days earlier, Klose had already anticipated that his historic mark could be surpassed during the competition. Now, in light of the confirmation, the former forward reacted with sportsmanship. ‘It’s all good. The record would be broken sooner or later, and I’m happy that Messi did it. I am a big fan of Messi, I always have been,’ he confessed, describing the Argentine as ‘a genius.’
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