It took 23 minutes and two bites of the cherry but Miroslav Klose is now the record scorer in World Cup Finals. His 16th goal at his fourth World Cup put him clear of Brazil's Ronaldo who was watching from the commentary box in Belo Horizonte.

Klose's is truly remarkable. At 36 he is still leading the line for Germany, exactly where he was 12 years ago when they lost to a Ronaldo-inspired Brazil in the World Cup final.

He's one of only three players to score at four different World Cups, the only one to have scored four times at three different tournaments and the only player to have ever bagged five headed goals at a World Cup.  

He's a charmingly old-­fashioned No.9 and one who has had an unremarkable career as record breakers go.

Born in Poland to a German soccer playing father, he would have happily represented Poland if they had shown interest ­earlier.

After moving to Germany as a child, he was 21 before he was signed professionally by ­Kaiserslautern and his form in the 2000-01 season, his first full season in the German top flight, earned him a call up to the ­national team.

He scored the winner on his debut against Albania and has never looked back.

Klose's best goals per game ratio since making his bow has brought 71 goals in 136 games, or a goal every 1.9 games. This ­payoff is better than he managed for Kaiserslautern, Bayern ­Munich, where he moved when was 29, and current club Lazio.

He is Germany's record scorer and that is no mean feat when you take into account the players he has outscored. With the likes of Juergen Klinsmann, Gerd Muller and Rudi Voller among them, you know he is something special, even if he doesn't act the star.

Many have claimed that Klose did not deserve to equal let alone break Ronaldo's record because he had a history of being a flat-track bully in the World Cup, as until Tuesday Klose had never scored later than the World Cup quarterfinals. His goals had mostly come against so-called lesser opposition, the critics said, but he has answered them in style.

You wouldn't bet against him signing off in the final with one more goal. Given that the ­German national team have ­never lost a game in which he has scored, there will be plenty willing on a record 17th.