Klose: 'I would love Messi to do it' — Lazio legend on his World Cup record being broken
Quick summary
Lazio legend Miroslav Klose, holder of the all-time World Cup scoring record (16 goals), says he would love Lionel Messi to break it. Messi currently sits on 13 World Cup goals heading into future tournaments.
What happened
Miroslav Klose, the retired Germany and Lazio striker who holds the all-time FIFA World Cup scoring record with 16 goals, has spoken warmly about the prospect of Lionel Messi surpassing his mark. Messi, who has scored 13 World Cup goals across his career including his 2022 triumph in Qatar, would need three more to equal and four to break Klose's record. Klose also discussed his friendship with Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni and praised Messi's enduring quality. The comments come in a reflective interview from a player who won the 2014 World Cup and spent several seasons at Lazio in Serie A.
Chance analysis
This is a feel-good retrospective story rather than hard tactical news. While it doesn't directly impact upcoming match predictions, it frames Messi as still pursuing individual milestones, which is relevant to his 2026 World Cup availability discussions. For prediction systems, the key takeaway is that Messi's international career is still alive and he is motivated to chase the all-time record, but no concrete timeline or squad decisions are announced here.
No immediate impact on team selection or match outcomes; purely a narrative/morale story that reinforces Messi's continued international ambition.
Messi remains motivated to extend his international career and chase Klose's World Cup scoring record, supporting his likely participation in upcoming tournaments.