Miroslav Klose calls Lionel Messi a genius after tying World Cup record

Former German forward Miroslav Klose reacted to Lionel Messi tying his World Cup goals record.

The Argentine player reached the 16-goal mark after scoring a hat-trick against Algeria in the first round of the group stage at the 2026 World Cup. The defending champions won the match 3-0.

All three of Leo Messi's goals in his first career FIFA World Cup hat trick pic.twitter.com/jb05ZWMrVU

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 17, 2026

Klose, who has held the record for 12 years, said he did not mind potentially being overtaken by Messi.

«I have nothing against Messi doing it, since records are meant to be broken. I have always been a big fan of Messi; he is a genius,» Diario Olé cited Klose as saying on X.

The match against Algeria was significant for the Argentine player for several reasons. He made his 200th appearance for Argentina’s national team, scored the first hat trick of the 2026 World Cup and equaled the all-time top scorer in World Cup history.

Before the match against Algeria, Messi was behind Gerd Müller (14), Kylian Mbappé (14) and Ronaldo (15) in World Cup goals. His hat trick brought him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 goals, with the next goal set to make him the outright record holder.

Messi will have the chance to do so on June 22, when Argentina faces Austria in the second round of Group J. On June 17, at the 2026 World Cup, Group K and Group L fixtures will take place: Portugal vs DR Congo, Uzbekistan vs Colombia, England vs Croatia and Ghana vs Panama