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HOW CUP-BEARER AT FINAL DRAW, KLOSE, BECAME WORLD CUP ALL-TIME TOP SCORER

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

 

FIFA has announced that the man to bring the World Cup trophy to the stage at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow during next month’s final draw is Germany’s Miroslav Klose. His choice was very obvious.  He is the all-time record holder in goal scoring at the World Cup.

Sports Village Square recalls that three years ago, the now retired footballer took over the limelight from home boy, Brazil’s Neymar Jr at the Brazil 2014 World Cup.  His goal against Brazil in the 7-1 defeat of the hosts at the semi-finals brought his total in the World Cup to 16.

Four years earlier at the South Africa 2010, he scored four goals.  At Germany 2006, he scored five goals; just had he did in the previous World Cup of 2002.

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The goal against Brazil was his second at Brazil 2014  having earlier scored against Ghana at the group stage to equal the then existing record of 15 held by the retired Brazilian, Ronaldo.

 The breakdown of his goals runs thus:

  • World Cup 2002: June 1: three goals in the 8-0 defeat of Saudi Arabia
  • World Cup 2002: June 5; one goal in the 1-1 draw with Ireland
  • World Cup 2002: June 11; one goal in the 2-0 defeat of Cameroon
  • World Cup 2006: June 9; two goals in the 4-2 defeat of Costa Rica
  • World Cup 2006: June 20; two goals in the 3-0 defeat of Ecuador
  • World Cup 2006: June 30; one goal in the 1-1 draw with Argentina and 4-2 win in the ensuing penalty shootout.

     World Cup 2010: June 13: one goal in 2-0 win over Austria

  • World Cup 2010: June 27; one goal in 4-1 defeat of England
  • World Cup 2010: July 3; two goals in 4-0 defeat of Argentina
  • World Cup 2014: June 21; one goal in 2-2 draw with Ghana
  • World Cup 2014: July 8; one goal in 7-1 defeat of Brazil

 

TOP SCORERS BEFORE KLOSE

  • 15 goals: Ronaldo (Brazil)
  • 14 goals: Gerd Muller (Germany)
  • 13 goals: Just Fontaine (France)
  • 12 goals: Pele (Brazil)
  • 11 goals; Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany), Sandor Kocsis (Hungary)
  • 10 goals: Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina),  Teofilo Cubilas (Peru), Grzegorz Lato (Poland),  Gary Lineker (England) Thomas Mueller (Germany), Rahn Helmut (Germany FR)

 

Klose’s exploit is not limited to goal scoring alone. He is one of the players with the highest playing time in the World Cup. When he faced Argentina at the final match of 2014 World Cup, it was his 24th World Cup match.

That put him just a match behind the existing record held by his compatriot, Lothar Matthaeus who played 25 matches in a career that ran from Spain ’82 to France ’98.

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THE TABLE OF MOST APPEARANCES IN THE WORLD CUP RUNS THUS:

  • 25 matches: Lothar Matthaeus – Germany- (1982-1998):  2,047 minutes.
  • 23 matches: Paulo Maldini – Italy – (1990-2002):  2,217 minutes
  • 23 matches: Miroslav Klose– Germany – (2002-2014): 1,704 minutes
  • 21 matches: Uwe Seeler – Germany – (1958 -1970): 1,980 minutes
  • 21 matches: Diego Maradona – Argentina – (1982-1994): 1,938 minutes
  • 21 matches: Wladyslaw Zmuda – Poland – (1974-1986): 1,807 minutes
  • 20 matches: Grzegorz Lato – Poland – (1974-1982): 1,800 minutes
  • 20 matches: Cafu – Brazil – (1994 -2006): 1,638 minutes

 

 

 

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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