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Lionel Messi has scored eight goals prior to the quarterfinals in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for Argentina -Credit:Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
German soccer icon and FIFA World Cup champion Miroslav Klose had been, until very recently, the tournament’s all-time leading goal scorer with 16 in 24 appearances between 2002 and 2014.
Klose surpassed Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário’s record of 15 goals, which he set in 2006, during Germany’s 2014 title-winning run in Brazil.
Now, though, the record belongs to Argentina superstar Lionel Messi, with the 39-year-old currently on 21 career goals across 31 games, thanks in no small part to his eight goals to date during the ongoing World Cup - putting him in pole position for his first-ever World Cup Golden Boot at his sixth time of trying.
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Messi broke Germany legend Miroslav Klose's long-standing World Cup scoring record this summer -Credit:sampics/Corbis via Getty Images
Messi tied Klose during Argentina’s 3-0 tournament opener against Algeria, with the Inter Miami star scoring all three goals at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Afterward, as was recently revealed by now 1. FC Nürnberg manager Klose, he spoke to Messi courtesy of a former teammate.
“Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was my teammate at Lazio, and we’re still regularly in touch. He arranged a call between Messi and me after he equalled my World Cup scoring record. It was really moving,” Klose explained via Bundesliga.com.
“Messi and I have obviously faced each other a few times on the pitch, which was always great and respectful. But the call was the first time we’ve had a bit of a longer chat away from the pitch. He told me he’d send me a signed shirt.”
After Messi officially broke Klose’s record, the 48-year-old was full of praise for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, saying, “For me, Lionel Messi is the best player of all time. Congratulations, champion!”
While losing such a prestigious record would have bothered some, this clearly wasn’t the case for Klose, who said, “It’s absolutely fine. The record was going to be broken at some point anyway, so I’m happy for Messi to do it. I am and always have been a big fan of Messi.”
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Since then, France sensation Kylian Mbappé has also surpassed Klose’s total, with the Real Madrid forward now remarkably on 19 goals after as many games.
As for other active players closing the gap on Klose, England star Harry Kane, who has 14 goals to his name after 16 games, is now the Three Lions’ record World Cup goal scorer after surpassing Gary Lineker. Both Messi and Mbappé already held the record prior to this summer’s tournament for their respective nations.
This summer’s race for the Golden Boot could well go down to the wire, with Messi leading the way ahead of the quarter-finals with eight, while Mbappé and Norway's towering forward Erling Haaland both have seven, with Kane just behind them on six.
Messi will look to continue his incredible goal-scoring run when they take on Switzerland back in Kansas City on Saturday. Elsewhere, Mbappe and Co. will face Morocco in a repeat of their 2022 semi-final clash at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Thursday, while Kane and Haaland will go head to head at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, on Saturday.
In the other quarterfinal, Spain and Belgium will battle it out for a semifinal berth at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Friday.
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