“He is the best of all time”: Klose’s message after Messi’s historic record

Lionel Messi has etched his name further into football history, becoming the all-time leading scorer in the World Cup after netting twice in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Austria. This achievement brings his total World Cup goal count to 18, surpassing the previous record of 16 held by German legend Miroslav Klose.

Messi's first goal came in the 38th minute, a clinical finish that broke the deadlock. He then extended his record in stoppage time with a second goal, solidifying Argentina's win and his personal milestone. The performance comes after Messi had already reached Klose's mark with a hat-trick in Argentina's opening match against Algeria.

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Lionel Messi is for me the best footballer of all time! Congratulations, champion!

Following Messi's historic feat, Klose himself offered his congratulations, expressing his admiration for the Argentine captain. "Lionel Messi is for me the best footballer of all time! Congratulations, champion!" Klose was quoted as saying to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. Klose had previously expressed that he was not surprised his record would be broken, stating he was happy it was Messi who achieved it, calling the Argentine attacker "a genius."

The win places Argentina in a strong position to advance to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, with six points from their first two matches. The team's qualification is not yet mathematically secured, pending results in other Group J matches.

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And it's perfectly fine. The record was going to be broken sooner or later, and I'm glad it's Messi. I've always been a big admirer of his, always.