Ronaldo Nazario praises Messi for breaking World Cup scoring record

Lionel Messi just did the thing that everyone assumed he’d eventually do, but nobody expected him to do quite like this. A hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s 3-0 group stage victory brought his World Cup goal tally to 16, tying Miroslav Klose’s all-time record. He’s 38 years old.

And now the man who once held that record’s South American equivalent is tipping his cap. Ronaldo Nazário, the Brazilian striker whose 15 World Cup goals across four tournaments made him a generational icon, offered full-throated praise for his longtime rival’s national team.

“If anyone deserves the title of the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, it’s definitely Messi.”

A record performance at an impossible age

At 38, Messi became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in World Cup history. He also became the first player in history to participate in six FIFA World Cups. His World Cup journey began in 2006 in Germany. The 16 goals now put him level with Germany’s Klose, who set the record at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Nazário himself is a case study in the alternative timeline. His 15 World Cup goals came across tournaments from 1994 to 2006, but injuries forced him into a premature decline. He acknowledged as much while praising Messi, drawing a contrast between his own curtailed career and Messi’s.

The GOAT debate, again

Nazário didn’t stop at praising the goals. He went further, calling for the football world to recognize Messi as the greatest player of all time.

Messi captained Argentina to their 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar. He’s won more Ballon d’Or awards than anyone in history. The 2026 World Cup is hosted across North America.

What comes next

With Argentina still alive in the group stages, Messi has multiple matches remaining to break Klose’s record outright. One more goal and the record is his alone.

Nazário’s praise also reframes how we think about greatness in football more broadly. When a player of his caliber, someone who won two World Cups and scored 15 goals on that stage, publicly declares that another player deserves the crown, it carries a finality that statistics alone can’t provide.

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