Miroslav Klose held the all-time men’s World Cup goals record with 16, scored across four tournaments for Germany between 2002 and 2014. That record now belongs to Lionel Messi, who overtook Klose with a brace against Austria on 22 June 2026 and has since stretched his tally to 19.
This guide breaks down how Klose built his 16-goal haul, the other World Cup marks he still owns, and exactly how and when Messi surpassed him at the 2026 tournament.
- Klose’s old record: 16 goals across 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014
- Messi’s new record: 19 goals and counting, as of 2 July 2026
- Record broken: 22 June 2026, brace vs Austria in Dallas
- Latest goal: free-kick vs Jordan, 27 June 2026
How Klose scored his record 16 World Cup goals
Klose reached 16 goals in just 24 World Cup appearances, finding the net at four straight tournaments from 2002 to 2014, per Britannica. His most prolific run came at Germany 2006, where his five goals won him the adidas Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer.
Here is how his record tally was spread across the four editions, according to FIFA:
| World Cup | Host | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | South Korea/Japan | 5 |
| 2006 | Germany | 5 |
| 2010 | South Africa | 4 |
| 2014 | Brazil | 2 |
His record-breaking 16th goal came in Germany’s 7-1 demolition of hosts Brazil in the 2014 semi-final, moving him clear of Brazil’s Ronaldo as the all-time top scorer — a mark that stood until 22 June 2026.
Germany went on to win the 2014 final against Argentina, giving Klose a World Cup winner’s medal to cap his international career.
The other World Cup records Klose still holds
Klose’s goal record is gone, but he still owns one of the tournament’s most enduring team marks: the most World Cup match wins by any player. He won 17 of his 24 World Cup matches for Germany, a victory record recognised by FIFA.
He is also one of the most decorated players in the competition’s history, finishing on the podium at every World Cup he played:
- 2002: Runner-up, losing the final to Brazil
- 2006: Third place on home soil
- 2010: Third place in South Africa
- 2014: Champion in Brazil
Those four medals across four tournaments put him in rare company among World Cup forwards.
How Messi matched — then broke — Klose’s record
Messi tied Klose’s record on 16 June, then broke it outright six days later against Austria. He first equalled the mark with his first-ever World Cup hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 opening win over Algeria, per FIFA’s match report.
That hat-trick, scored in Kansas City on 16 June, also made him — at 38 years and 357 days — the oldest player ever to score a World Cup treble, according to Al Jazeera. He then broke the record for good in Dallas, scoring twice in a 2-0 win over Austria on 22 June, per Al Jazeera.
- Algeria, 16 June: hat-trick ties Klose’s record at 16 goals
- Austria, 22 June: brace breaks the record, taking him to 18
His first goal against Austria, in the 38th minute, moved him to 17 and handed him the outright record; a second in injury time took his career tally to 18, per ESPN. That 18th goal also pushed him past Brazil’s Marta as the outright highest scorer in World Cup history, men’s or women’s.
For his full tournament-by-tournament numbers, see our Messi World Cup record and stats guide. Here is how the all-time men’s World Cup top scorers stand today, per ESPN:
| Player | Country | World Cup goals |
|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 19 |
| Miroslav Klose | Germany | 16 |
| Kylian Mbappé | France | 16 |
| Ronaldo | Brazil | 15 |
| Gerd Müller | West Germany | 14 |
| Just Fontaine | France | 13 |
| Pelé | Brazil | 12 |
Mbappé also reached 16 with a brace on 22 June, drawing level with Klose in outright second place, per ESPN. At 27, he remains the active player most likely to challenge Messi’s new mark in future tournaments.
For the full all-time leaderboard and the other scoring marks in play, read our World Cup goals record guide.
What Klose has said about losing the record
Klose has been relaxed about losing his record, saying before the tournament that he hoped Messi would be the one to break it.
“That is absolutely fine; the record was always going to be broken eventually,” he said ahead of the 2026 tournament, calling the Argentine “a genius,” via beIN Sports. He added that he had “always been a huge fan” of Messi, according to Goal.
How Messi’s tally stands entering the knockout rounds
Argentina topped Group J with three wins from three, advancing to the Round of 32 as group winners, and Messi now sits on 19 World Cup goals. His free-kick against Jordan on 27 June was his 19th career World Cup goal, extending the record he had broken against Austria five days earlier.
- Argentina 2-0 Austria: 22 June, Dallas — Messi ×2, record broken
- Argentina 3-1 Jordan: 27 June, Dallas — Lo Celso 19′, Lautaro pen 31′, Messi free-kick 80′
- Argentina vs Cape Verde (Round of 32): Friday 3 July, Miami
For kick-off times converted to Gulf and South Asian time zones, see our Argentina 2026 World Cup schedule guide. You can also track who leads the goal charts day by day on our World Cup top scorer tracker.
Here is what fans following Argentina should keep an eye on as the knockout rounds unfold:
- Miami, Round of 32: compare flights to Miami and hotels in Miami early, since prices climb fast on match days
- Dallas, group stage: check hotels in Dallas or track connections on the American Airlines flight tracker, since Dallas–Fort Worth is the carrier’s home hub
- New York, the final on 19 July: watch flights to New York on the Delta flight tracker or a codeshare partner, and track schedule changes on the Wego flight tracker
Frequently Asked Questions
How many World Cup goals did Miroslav Klose score?
Klose scored 16 goals across four World Cups for Germany. His tally was five in 2002, five in 2006, four in 2010 and two in 2014.
Does Klose still hold the World Cup goals record?
No — Messi broke it on 22 June 2026, tying Klose on 16 goals with a hat-trick against Algeria six days earlier before surpassing him with a brace against Austria.
He has since extended the record to 19 with a free-kick against Jordan on 27 June.
When did Klose break the previous record?
He scored his 16th goal in Germany’s 7-1 win over Brazil in the 2014 semi-final, passing Brazil’s Ronaldo. Germany then won the final to make Klose a world champion.
How many World Cup goals does Messi have?
Messi has 19 World Cup goals as of 2 July 2026 — three against Algeria (16 June), two against Austria (22 June), and a free-kick against Jordan (27 June). That is the most by any player in World Cup history, men’s or women’s.
Sources
- FIFA — Miroslav Klose’s Goalscoring Record
- FIFA — King Klose and His Victory Record
- FIFA — Argentina 3-0 Algeria: Match Report & Highlights
- ESPN — Messi Nets Hat-trick to Tie Klose Record
- ESPN — Messi Breaks Record for Most World Cup Goals with Austria Double
- ESPN — FIFA World Cup 2026 Stats: Messi All-time Record 18; Mbappé Equals Klose with 16
- Al Jazeera — Messi Rewrites History at Record Sixth World Cup
- Al Jazeera — Messi Scores Brace as Argentina Beat Austria 2-0
- NPR — Argentina’s Lionel Messi Sets World Cup Scoring Record
- NBC News — Lionel Messi Breaks Record for Career Goals Scored at the World Cup
- Olympics.com — Messi Strikes from the Bench for 19th World Cup Goal
- Yahoo Sports — Messi Becomes First to Score in 7 Straight World Cup Games
- beIN Sports — Klose Hopes ‘Genius’ Messi Breaks His Record
- Goal — Klose Happy to Pass Record to Messi
- Britannica — Miroslav Klose Biography and Records
- FIFA — Argentina 3-1 Jordan: Match Report & Highlights
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