Germany legend Miroslav Klose hopes Lionel Messi will be the one to break the World Cup goalscoring record.
Klose is the all-time leading scorer with 16 goals.
Messi and Argentina begin their title defense on Tuesday. Messi could set a record for World Cup appearances.
He could become the first player to play in six World Cups, a record that Cristiano Ronaldo is also expected to achieve with Portugal.
The 38-year-old captain has scored 13 goals for Argentina in five World Cups.
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If he scores one goal, he would equal Gerd Muller. If he scores two goals, he would equal the phenomenon Ronaldo.
But if he scores three or more goals, he would equal or surpass Klose, who is the top scorer in World Cup history.
"He's welcome to do that. I'm a big fan of his, always have been," Klose told TyC Sports.
Klose praised Messi and Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.
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"Messi is a genius. I also have great respect for Scaloni, with whom we played together at Lazio. We are good friends," said Klose.
Argentina kicks off their campaign against Algeria before facing Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 27.
