First, it was Lionel Messi. Then came Kylian Mbappe. By 2030, there may well be Kane.
There is a degree to which one might say that it is fitting that Messi and Mbappe – the two players who have been the poster boys of the modern World Cup, the pair whose battles have defined the recent editions of the tournament – sit atop the FIFA World Cup scoring charts. It just feels right when the great players hold the great records.
And yet the man they charged past to set the new standards doesn’t quite fit that archetype. Sandwiched between Messi and Mbappe on one side, and Ronaldo, Harry Kane, and Gerd Müller on the other is Miroslav Klose, Germany’s fox in the box whose exploits at the World Cup will remain etched in the history books even if they may fade from memory on occasion.
The right man at the right time
When Miroslav Klose landed in Sapporo for Germany’s FIFA World Cup 2002 opener against Saudi Arabia just over a week before his 24th birthday, he had only two full seasons of Bundesliga football for FC Kaiserslautern under his belt.
Far from being marked for greatness from a young age, he did not come through the traditional academy system, and four years prior had been plying his trade in the seventh division. Indeed, he would top the 16 league goals he scored in the 2001/02 season just once more across his club career.
That is not to suggest that Klose’s club career was unsuccessful by any stretch of the imagination. He had respectable careers across spells with Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich (where he won the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal twice, and finished as runner-up in the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League), and Lazio (where he won the Coppa Italia).
But it was on the international stage that he truly shone. Klose was born to Polish parents in Germany and received an invitation to play for Poland. But once he committed to Germany and scored the winner on his international debut against Albania, he never looked back, and he remains Germany’s top goal-scorer to date.
Miroslav Klose (front) taps the ball in to score against Ghana in the 2014 World Cup. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Nothing quite epitomises Klose quite like the goal against Ghana at the 2014 World Cup that drew him level with Ronaldo. As a corner is swung into the near post, he ghosts around the back of the defence and extends his right leg to deflect the ball into the net after it was headed on.
Klose found the ability to be the right man in the right place at the right time with remarkable efficiency, the type of player that is increasingly rare in modern football. For each one of his 16 World Cup goals – all of which came inside the penalty box – he sniffs around for the hint of an opportunity, and when he senses it, stretches every sinew to get leg, body, or (most often) head onto the ball, doing whatever necessary to force it into the goal.
“He was a typical No. 9 player; he was able to score goals like an Erling Haaland but also play combination football with the rest of the team,” remembered Oliver Kahn, Klose’s captain from the 2002 World Cup. “He was also extremely strong with his head, which made him incredibly valuable for set pieces.”
The team man
Many of Klose’s goals are somewhat shorn of aesthetic quality, but they reflect what he was for the Germany team. He was able to be the round peg in the round hole, linking up well with the technically skilled players around him and doing whatever was necessary for the team.
“He was a great player, an important player, and his strength was so important for the German team,” says Kahn.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. In four trips to the World Cup, Klose’s Germany sides never exited before the semifinals, and he is the only man to have won four medals to date.
Klose was also known for his humility and sportsmanship on the field as well. He once turned down a penalty whilst playing for Werder Bremen, and admitted to having accidentally scored with his hand while playing for Lazio as well. His reaction to Messi going past his World Cup record encapsulates this.
“For me, Lionel Messi is the best player of all time. Congratulations, champion!” he told the media team at FC Nuremberg (where he is manager now).”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.”
🆕 The moment @DFB_Team_EN's Miroslav Klose became the leading marksman in #WorldCup history – & he had the cheek to relieve @Ronaldo of the record in Brazil & against Brazil
🇩🇪 #SorryNotSorry 😉 #OnThisDay 🔙pic.twitter.com/vGwAg9itFY
More than one road to the top
It is almost fitting that the goal which took Klose to the record outright is somewhat buried under the weight of a larger history as well, the second in Germany’s 7-1 semifinal trouncing of Brazil in Belo Horizonte, a result that sent shockwaves through the football world.
But Klose’s outstanding World Cup legacy illustrates one of football’s most enduring truths – there is more than one road to greatness. Where Messi or Mbappe may have led their teams to glory through skill, pace, or power, Klose’s method was built on efficiency, discipline, and the humility to be whatever his team needed him to be. That he remains on such a historical list makes the tapestry of the FIFA World Cup that much richer.
Comments
Published on Jul 18, 2026