German legend Klose was quick to offer his praise to Messi after seeing his long-standing record finally fall. Klose, who retired with 16 goals on the world’s biggest stage, was full of admiration for the Inter Miami star, who scored a double to fire Argentina to a 2-0 win against Austria on Monday.
“I’ve always said Messi is no slouch,” the 48-year-old said. “For me, Leo is the best footballer of all time! Congratulations, champion!”.
The former Bayern Munich striker had held the top spot since the 2014 tournament, but he admitted that he was happy to see a player of Messi’s calibre take the mantle.
Before the 2026 edition kicked off, the German marksman predicted that his tally would be bettered. “That’s perfectly fine, the record will be broken eventually anyway, and then Messi is welcome to do it. I’m a big fan of Messi, always have been,” said Klose.
