Klose scored his 16 from 24 World Cup appearances. Messi needed 27 games to match him, so the German forward still sits atop the all time list by the narrowest margin. With Argentina set to face Austria and Mbappe reportedly in strong form ahead of France's meeting with Iraq, the record could change soon.
Klose built his tally without the path of a conventional superstar prospect. Born in Poland before his family relocated to Germany in 1987, he was still an amateur at 21 and had studied carpentry before a Kaiserslautern scout spotted him in 1999. By spring 2001 he had made his Bundesliga debut, scored his first Bundesliga goal, earned his Germany debut, and scored his first international goal.
