Retired German star and World Cup top scorer Miroslav Klose expects his record to be broken in the next edition of the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Klose told the weekly newspaper 'Sport Bild' today, 'I am sure that my World Cup goals record will be broken soon, either by Lionel Messi this year or by Kylian Mbappé in the coming years.' The former Germany striker, who set the current record on his way to winning the World Cup with his country in 2014, pointed out that Messi and Mbappé have the advantage of taking penalties, something he did not do throughout his international career. Klose tops the list of all-time World Cup top scorers with 16 goals, followed by Brazilian star Ronaldo (15 goals), then German legend Gerd Müller (14 goals), then Messi and Frenchman Just Fontaine (13 goals), and finally Mbappé and Brazilian Pelé (12 goals). Messi is expected to play for reigning champions Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, while Mbappé will remain a cornerstone of the French team. Klose, the current coach of Nuremberg, a club in Germany's second division, said, 'I still hold the record as the player with the most World Cup victories, and the only player to have played in four World Cup semi-finals.' Regarding his successor in the German attack from the current national team squad, Klose said, 'I see Niclas Füllkrug as the best player in Germany's attack line at the moment, and he has special skills.' Klose also noted that Timo Werner remains a prominent option, adding that Leroy Sané and Kai Havertz need to improve their physical fitness first.
