Miroslav Klose speaks exclusively with FIFA.com

16-goal record-holder reminisces about his World Cup history

Germany's attacking coach looks ahead to their Russia 2018 campaign When the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ kicks off in Russia in mid-June, one name that has been on the competition’s team sheets since 2002 and has since made its way into the sport’s history books will be missing – that of Miroslav Klose. The striker scored his 16th goal at the finals during Germany’s World Cup triumph in 2014, surpassing none other than Brazilian legend Ronaldo in the process. The man they call 'Miro' finally hung up his boots in 2016 after winning 137 international caps, including 24 World Cup appearances, scoring 71 goals for his country and collecting numerous titles and accolades along the way. Fans can console themselves with the knowledge that the 39-year-old will travel to Russia for this summer’s competition where, as an attacking coach for the reigning champions, he will use his experience to help the latest generation of strikers such as Timo Werner to improve even further. FIFA.com sat down with the affable German to talk about his World Cup experiences, the tournament in Russia and his record.

FIFA.com: You played in four World Cups on four different continents. Surely nobody is better placed to describe what taking part in the competition means to a player?

Miroslav Klose: A World Cup is always something special and simply indescribable – and being able to hold something in your hands at the end of it all is just incredible. That’s why I’m very glad that we became world champions in 2014, as we always got close to winning the title. We got to the Final in 2002 before losing twice in the semi-finals. Germany are always known and feared for being a tournament side. Is that simply a cliché or is there some truth to it?

We’ve always managed to form a strong unit at each tournament, and that has always taken us a long way. That spirit and dynamism doesn’t just emerge during the competition; it starts to come together during our preparations. Can Germany defend their title in 2018?

We can go a long way, but we need to develop that team spirit once again. Germany have some excellent young talent and great players of an outstanding calibre, but they need to show that out on the pitch. The concept of being a unit is always on my mind – the team is always the main priority for me. If every individual performs to the best of his ability, the team will certainly benefit from that. Could there be a surprise in store?

At every World Cup there is a team that makes you think that if they play well, something could happen. Sometimes that means they can even beat the big teams.

Which players will leave their mark on this World Cup?

It’s usually the same individuals – superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – but every team has special players. It might not always be the household names we all know, but each side has some incredibly important individuals, and you have to identify and evaluate them accordingly. What are your general expectations for the tournament in Russia?

It will be something very special. We experienced it at the Confederations Cup. With so many enthusiastic spectators, the atmosphere in the stadiums is great. It will be a fantastic World Cup. Let’s move on to you personally. You are the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer. Are you aware of your status as an icon?

I don’t personally think of myself as an icon, but it’s definitely an incredible thing. Scoring 16 goals at the World Cup is something you only usually dream about. But, as ever, I’ve got to pay tribute to my team, as I could never have done it without them. Can this record ever be broken?

There are some fantastic players around, so I think there’s a good chance that it’ll be broken at some point, but I’ll just wait and see what happens. I won’t begrudge anyone for managing it. I’m not someone who clings on to records. You scored your 16th World Cup goal against the hosts in that memorable 7-1 semi-final win in Brazil...

That was amazing. I’m often asked why I needed two attempts to score that goal. Brazil’s goalkeeper made a great save the first time, but the follow-up went in. It was a very special match. To play so well in Brazil and take our goalscoring chances so well – it was a fantastic team performance.

Klose: World Cup goal king "There's a good chance that my record will be broken" Miroslav Klose has 16 FIFA World Cup goals, but he tells us he thinks someone will better him one day. READ our exclusive interview 👇 English: https://fifa.to/e/7ifNTzFzAJ Deutsch: https://fifa.to/e/EYYzE4UzAJ Français : https://fifa.to/e/D5qt8n9DAJ Español: https://fifa.to/e/dUbYXbVEAJ العربية: https://fifa.to/e/xgevTKwXAJ Posted by FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, 10 January 2018