Miroslav Klose
Centre-Forward · Kaiserslautern · Germany
About Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose is the World Cup's all-time top scorer with 16 goals across four tournaments (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014). Born in Poland to ethnic German parents, he moved to Germany as a child and represented Germany with pride for 15 years. He is one of the most selfless and respected players in modern football — a pure team player who consistently prioritised the collective over the individual.
Miroslav Klose's story
Opole to Germany
Klose was born in Opole, Poland, to ethnic German parents — his father Josef played football in Poland and France. The family moved to Germany when Miroslav was eight. He was a late developer, working as a carpenter while playing semi-professionally before Kaiserslautern signed him aged 20. He only started playing full-time professional football at 21.
World Cup Legend
Klose appeared in four World Cups, scoring 5, 5, 4, and 4 goals respectively to reach 16 — breaking Ronaldo's record of 15 at the 2014 tournament. His performances were never about individual glory: he tracked back, pressed defenders, held up play, and celebrated teammates' goals as enthusiastically as his own. He was Germany's most beloved player of his generation.
Fairness and Character
In 2005, Klose stopped play to tell the referee he had not intentionally scored with his hand — conceding a goal against Tottenham for West Brom in a pre-season match. In Italy, Lazio fans — famously difficult with foreign stars — adopted him as one of their own. He moved into coaching and became assistant to Italy's national team manager Luciano Spalletti.
Did you know?
- 🌍 He holds the record for most goals in FIFA World Cup history — 16 goals across four tournaments (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014) — surpassing Ronaldo's record in 2014.
- 🤝 In 2005 he deliberately told the referee he had scored with his hand — conceding the goal against himself — in a pre-season match. FIFA later awarded him the Fair Play Award.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married Sylwia Klose; they have twin sons, Luan and Noah. The family settled in Munich, where he began his coaching career.
- ⏰ He scored his 16th World Cup goal against Brazil in the 2014 semi-final aged 36 years and 22 days — making him one of the oldest players to score a World Cup goal.
- 🇮🇹 At Lazio he became one of the most beloved foreign players in the club's history — known for his humility, his Italian language skills, and his consistent performances.
- 🏟️ He appeared in the most World Cup matches of any German player in history — 24 games across four tournaments from 2002 to 2014.
- 🌟 He was named in the German Football Association's "Golden XI" — the greatest German team of all time — despite having been born in Poland.
- 📊 His 71 goals in 137 international appearances make him Germany's all-time top scorer — ahead of Gerd Müller's long-standing record of 68 goals in 62 appearances.
- 💪 He led Germany's press in the 2014 World Cup — tracking back 70+ metres, winning headers in his own half, and setting up defensive transitions. A total team player.
Honours
- FIFA World Cup: Germany (2014)
- Bundesliga x3: Bayern Munich (2008, 2010, 2011)
- DFB Cup x2: Werder Bremen (2004), Bayern (2010)
- World Cup All-Time Top Scorer: 16 goals across 4 tournaments
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