Throughout his four consecutive participations, from Korea-Japan 2002 until Brazil 2014, Klose played 24 World Cup matches and won 70% of them.
Behind the impressive record of the German striker, the Brazilian appears tied for second place. Cafú, historic right back of the Canarinha, and the Argentine Lionel Messi, current figure of the Albiceleste, both with 16 victories in World Cups.
Cafú reached its 16 wins during four consecutive editions, between United States 1994 and Germany 2006, and also holds the record of having played in three consecutive finals with the Brazilian team.
For his part, Lionel Messi reached 16 victories after Argentina’s historic campaign in Qatar 2022. The Argentine captain built this record over five World Cups and now directly threatens Klose’s record as the player with the most games won in the history of the tournament.
One step further down, with 15 World Cup wins, appear the Brazilian Ronaldo and the German midfielder Lothar Matthäus, two legends who marked golden eras for their teams, along with other German references such as Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
All of them also stand out for their effectiveness close to or greater than 70% in the matches played in the World Cup, a factor that has been key both in their individual achievements and in the collective successes of their teams.
Among the 15 footballers who lead this statistic, only the Italian Paolo Maldini has never managed to win a World Cup. Furthermore, only Maldini, Matthäus and Messi – until now – has registered an effectiveness close to 60%, while Cafú achieved an impressive 80% victory rate in 20 games played.
A record that could fall in 2026
With our sights set on the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, Miroslav Klose’s mark appears as one of the great historical records that could be surpassed by figures who are still in force.
The expansion of the tournament to 104 matches and a format that will require playing eight games to be crowned champion will make it easier for several players to accelerate their numbers, leaving Messi very close to becoming the player with the most World Cup victories if Argentina overcomes the group stage.
Kylian Mbappé also remains on the lookout and will need France to win six games in the 2026 World Cup to equal the current record, in a scenario where mathematics no longer plays in Klose’s favor.