Argentina draws a favorable group in the World Cup; Messi is set to surpass Klose as the all-time top scorer, only 3 goals behind.

Following the 2026 USA-Canada-Mexico World Cup group stage draw, the majority of fans and media anticipate that Messi will surpass Ronaldo Nazário and Klose to claim the title of the World Cup's top scorer in history. This expectation is based mainly on two factors.

First: the difference is minimal, just 3 goals! On the World Cup all-time scoring list, German striker Klose leads with 16 goals, Brazilian forward Ronaldo is second with 15, German forward Müller ranks third with 14, while Argentine forward Messi and French player Fontaine (single tournament) share fourth place with 13 goals each. Messi is only 3 goals behind Klose; if he scores 4 or more goals in the 2026 World Cup, he will become the new all-time top scorer in World Cup history.

Second: a favorable group stage draw! In the 2026 World Cup, Argentina is placed in Group J with Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. This is a good draw for Argentina. Argentina is ranked 2nd in the world with a team value of 540 million euros; Algeria is 35th with a total value of 25.3 million euros; Austria is 24th with 216 million euros; Jordan is 66th with 8.78 million euros. Although football is unpredictable—Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia in the 2022 World Cup—given Argentina’s current strength, they are confident against Austria, Algeria, and Jordan, especially Jordan, which could result in a high-scoring match. Messi is expected to score more goals in the group stage. Compared to previous World Cups, the 2026 tournament will add a round of 16 knockout match, increasing the number of games, which will also help Messi surpass Klose as the World Cup’s all-time top scorer.