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Lionel Messi now stands alone as the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history. With a brace against Austria, the Argentine captain surpassed the long-standing record held by German legend Miroslav Klose.

Before the match in Dallas, Messi and Klose were jointly holding the World Cup scoring record with 16 goals each. However, Messi's two goals against Austria took his World Cup tally to 18, allowing him to move past Klose's mark of 16 goals scored in 24 matches across four World Cups.

Despite losing his record, Klose was full of praise for Messi. Speaking to German media, he said, “For me, Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer of all time. Congratulations, champion.”

Klose is currently the head coach of German second-division club 1. FC Nürnberg. He had broken Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário's World Cup record of 15 goals by scoring in Germany's historic 7–1 victory over Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-final. After holding the record for more than a decade, he has now passed the torch to Messi.

Only 16 players in World Cup history have scored at least 10 goals. Among them, only three are still active: Messi, France's Kylian Mbappé, and England's Harry Kane. Given his age, Mbappé may have a realistic chance of challenging the record in the future.

Statistics show that Klose scored his 16 World Cup goals from 66 shots, while Messi has scored 18 goals from 118 attempts. Although Klose boasts a better conversion rate and fewer minutes per goal, there is a significant difference between the two players' roles. Klose played primarily as an out-and-out striker, whereas Messi has set the World Cup scoring record while operating largely as a playmaker and creative attacking force.