Miroslav Klose equals Ronaldo's record

Miroslav Klose has joined Brazil legend Ronaldo as the all-time leading World Cup scorer after scoring his 15th World Cup goal against Ghana on Saturday.

Klose, 36, pulled level with Ronaldo when he scored in the 71st minute of Germany's clash with the Black Stars. The veteran forward also overtook legendary striker Gerd Muller as the leading goalscorer for Germany in World Cups.

Miroslav Klose now has 15 career World Cup goals, tying Ronaldo for the most all-time. pic.twitter.com/10B39fhsVT

- ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 21, 2014Going into the tournament following a difficult season at Lazio, Klose was only used as a substitute, but managed to score as a super sub when he put the ball past Fatau Dauda.

Despite his lack of recent game time with Die Nationalmannschaft, who have changed to a 4-3-3 system without a recognised striker, Klose never lost sight of the record.

"I don't like speaking about records, but anyone who knows me knows that this is an important goal of mine and it is something that keeps me going at this level," he said before the 2014 World Cup.

Brazil legend Ronaldo, who also scored his 15th goal against Ghana in 2006, had tried to maintain his record ahead of the World Cup when he asked fans in Brazil to "cast a tiny spell on Miroslav Klose."

"That would be good, so that Klose scores no goals here," he added.

Muller scored 14 goals in only two tournaments; the former Bayern Munich player netting 10 goals at the 1970 World Cup and adding a further four in 1974, when his goal in the final against Netherlands sealed Germany's second title.

Muller, who quit Germany after the 1974 World Cup triumph, scored 68 goals in 62 matches for his country, a record that was broken by Klose in a friendly against Armenia earlier this month.

Welcome to the club #Klose

- Claro Ronaldo (@ClaroRonaldo) June 21, 2014"Please don't compare me to Gerd Muller, I will never be mentioned in the same breath," Klose said ahead of the World Cup after netting his 69th goal Germany goal.

Klose's 15th goal came in his 20th World Cup appearance and he has now scored at four consecutive tournaments -- only the third player to achieve that feat after Brazil legend Pele and West Germany's Uwe Seeler. 

In 2002, Klose scored five goals, all of them headers as an ageing Germany side progressed to the final. He added another five on home soil in 2006, where he also won the Golden Boot, before netting four more in South Africa in 2010.