Miroslav Klose and Thomas Mueller will bring a grand total of 26 World Cup goals to the final on Sunday, a staggering tally for two of the most prolific strikers in the tournament’s history.
Klose is the World Cup’s all-time record goal scorer with 16 in four tournaments, while Mueller has 10 in two editions.
But the German duo’s fearsome reputation on the field masks a good-natured and soft-spoken demeanour off it.
Both are consummate team players who altruistically express due appreciation to the fine assists they get from a superb pack of midfielders.
They might be famous around the world for their World Cup heroics but in Germany they’re just two ordinary guys on Joachim Loew’s team desperate for a first World Cup title since 1990.
Klose moved past former Brazil striker Ronaldo on the World Cup’s all-time scorer’s list with his 16th goal on Tuesday in the 7-1 demolition of the hosts.
Ronaldo, who scored his 15th and last in the 2002 final against Klose’s Germany, watched on in Belo Horizonte as his record mark was surpassed.
Mueller, who is one shy of Colombian James Rodriguez’s mark of six in the top scorer charts in Brazil, is slightly taller than Klose at 1.86 meters and a renowned light-hearted prankster.
“He’s always fun to be around and always engaging the others in conversations,” Loew said of Mueller, who speaks with a thick Bavaria accent and has played at Bayern Munich since he was 18.
Even though he is only 24, Mueller already has 22 goals in 55 caps for Germany and his 10 World Cup goals leave him well set to one day catch Klose’s mark.
“That’s not something I’m thinking about at all,” Mueller told reporters recently before repeating the mantra that every Germany player comes up with at news conference. “We’re here as a team to win the tournament. Every thing else is secondary.”
But after getting his latest goal in the huge win over Brazil on Tuesday, Mueller allowed himself to joke about the possible feat.
“I’m hot on his heels now but he’s got what feels like a 20-year head start on me,” Mueller said with a laugh before praising Klose. “He’s an indefatigable worker on the team, a real team player. There’s no one better than him.”
