World Cup record holder Klose retires

German striker Miroslav Klose, the all-time World Cup top scorer, promulgated his retirement from international football on Monday, AFP reports.

The 36-year-old leaves the German national team as a World Cup triumpher after last month availing Joachim Loew’s side to their first global crown since 1990 when they subjugated Argentina 1-0 in the Rio-hosted final.

The Lazio frontman picked up his 16th goal, in what was his fourth World Cup, to surpass Brazilian Ronaldo as the tournament’s leading scorer.

Klose, who won two German denominations with Bayern Munich following spells with Kaiserslautern and Werder Bremen, verbally expressed he had “fulfilled a childhood dream with the designation in Brazil” and lived “unforgettable moments with the national team”, according to a verbalization relinquished by the German football federation.

“The prosperity of the team stood and always stands for me in the highest place,” Klose verbally expressed.

“With the national team I achieved our greatest goal, a goal which we had together within the squad.

“In additament, I achieved personal goals and those who ken me ken that I am very zealous, but I am a striker and the task of a striker is to score goals.

“Therefore the records never concerned me, but it was always about giving my best for the team.”

The Polish-born marksman scored five goals at the 2002 World Cup, where Germany were beaten 2-0 by Ronaldo’s Brazil in the final, five in 2006 on home soil, four in 2010 at South Africa and two in 2014.

He broke the World Cup record for goals in July when he found the target for his 16th strike during the 7-1 semi-final rout of Brazil.

He is one of just three players, alongside Pele and Uwe Seeler, to score in four World Cups, and culminates his Germany vocation as the country’s all-time leading scorer with 71 goals in 137 appearances.