World Cup highest goalscorers
Lionel Messi etched his name in gold in the history of the FIFA World Cup with a sensational hat-trick that moved him to the top of the highest scorers list in the tournament’s history.
Messi handed his country the maximum points in their opening match at the 2026 World Cup against Algeria and also joined Miroslav Klose as the World Cup top scorer with 16 goals.
FirstDailySports takes a look at the top five goalscorers in the World Cup.
1. Lionel Messi: Messi is the new entrant in the exclusive list with 16 goals in 27 World Cup appearances.
He has now played at six World Cup tournaments becoming the first player to achieve the feat after he made his debut in the 2006 edition in Germany.
Messi opened his World Cup goal account against Paraguay and he also added one assist in the tournament as Argentina crashed out in the quarterfinals.
Surprisingly, at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Messi failed to score but he recorded an assist as Argentina were dumped out by England in the quarterfinals.
In 2014, Messi resumed normal service with four goals and one assist to win the Golden Ball award as Argentina lost the final to Germany.
He scored two goals against Nigeria, and scored one each against Iran and Bosnia Herzegovina respectively.
At the 2018 edition in Russia, he scored just once and that was against Nigeria before he took his game at the World Cup to another level in 2022.
In Qatar, Messi scored seven goals to lead Argentina to their third World Cup trophy.
He scored one goal each against the likes of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Australia, Netherlands, Croatia before scoring a brace in the final against France.
Messi made it 16 goals in the history of the tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup.
Total World Cup Goals: 16
Group Stage: 11
Round of 16: 1
Quarter-finals: 1
Semi-finals: 1
Final: 2
Read Also: ‘It’s just statistics’ — Messi reacts to World Cup goals milestone
2. Miroslav Klose: The Germany forward held the record for the most goals scored at the World Cup for 12 years before Messi equalled it.
Klose scored 16 goals for Germany across four World Cups between 2002 and 2014.
He opened his World Cup account against Saudi Arabia in 2002 with a stunning hat-trick before adding goals against Republic of Ireland and Cameroon to make it five in his first-ever World Cup.
At the 2006 edition hosted by Germany, Klose scored five goals to finish as the tournament’s top scorer. He scored a brace against Costa Rica and Ecuador respectively before adding one goal against Argentina.
In 2010, Klose scored four goals with goals against Australia, England and a brace against Argentina.
In 2014, Klose broke Ronaldo’s record by scoring two goals against Ghana and Brazil respectively to take his tally to 16 in the tournament’s history.
3. Ronaldo Nazario: The Brazilian great is the third top scorer in World Cup’s history with 15 goals across three tournaments in 19 matches.
At the 1998 edition, Ronaldo made his World Cup debut in the tournament, scoring one apiece against Morocco, and Netherlands before scoring a brace against Chile to make it four in France.
Ronaldo scored eight goals in the 2022 edition of the tournament, scoring a brace against Turkey, Costa Rica, and Germany respectively before adding goals against China and Belgium.
He won the golden boot after scoring a brace against Germany in the final.
At the 2006 edition in Germany, Ronaldo scored three goals, two against Japan and one against Ghana.
4. Gerd Muller scored 14 goals in 13 matches across two World Cup tournaments for Germany. He held the all-time World Cup scoring record for 32 years before Ronaldo surpassed him in 2006.
He scored 10 goals at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico which Brazil won.
Read Also: Mbappe sets goal record as France beat Senegal at World Cup
Muller scored a hat-trick against Bulgaria and Italy, a brace against England and one goal apiece against Morocco and Peru respectively to finish as the tournament’s top scorer.
The Breakdown
Morocco (Group Stage) – 1 goal
Bulgaria (Group Stage) – Hat-trick (3 goals)
Peru (Group Stage) – 1 goal
England (Quarter-final) – 2 goals
Italy (Semi-final) – Hat-trick (3 goals)
In 1974, he scored four goals to lead West Germany to the trophy on home soil.
He scored two goals against Yugoslavia and one each against Australia and Netherlands.
5. Kylian Mbappe: The French star has scored 14 World Cup goals across three tournaments in 15 matches.
The Real Madrid forward opened his World Cup account against Peru in the group stage in 2018 edition before scoring a brace against Argentina in the second round and he added a goal against Croatia in the final to lead France to the trophy.
At the 2022 edition, Mbappe scored eight goals to lead France to a second consecutive final which they lost to Argentina.
He scored a brace against Denmark and Poland before adding one goal against Australia and he capped it off with a hat-trick in the final against Argentina.
The Breakdown
Australia (Group Stage) – 1 goal
Denmark (Group Stage) – 2 goals
Poland (Round of 16) – 2 goals
Argentina (Final) – Hat-trick (3 goals)
Mbappe won the Golden Boot with eight goals and became only the second player in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final.
He made it 14 goals with a brace against Senegal in France’s opening clash against Senegal to overtake Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals for France.
From Klose to Messi: The men behind World Cup goals records
Lionel Messi etched his name in gold in the history of the FIFA World Cup with a sensational hat-trick that moved him to the top of the highest scorers list in the tournament’s history.
Messi handed his country the maximum points in their opening match at the 2026 World Cup against Algeria and also joined Miroslav Klose as the World Cup top scorer with 16 goals.
FirstDailySports takes a look at the top five goalscorers in the World Cup.
1. Lionel Messi: Messi is the new entrant in the exclusive list with 16 goals in 27 World Cup appearances.
He has now played at six World Cup tournaments becoming the first player to achieve the feat after he made his debut in the 2006 edition in Germany.
Messi opened his World Cup goal account against Paraguay and he also added one assist in the tournament as Argentina crashed out in the quarterfinals.
Surprisingly, at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Messi failed to score but he recorded an assist as Argentina were dumped out by England in the quarterfinals.
In 2014, Messi resumed normal service with four goals and one assist to win the Golden Ball award as Argentina lost the final to Germany.
He scored two goals against Nigeria, and scored one each against Iran and Bosnia Herzegovina respectively.
At the 2018 edition in Russia, he scored just once and that was against Nigeria before he took his game at the World Cup to another level in 2022.
In Qatar, Messi scored seven goals to lead Argentina to their third World Cup trophy.
He scored one goal each against the likes of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Australia, Netherlands, Croatia before scoring a brace in the final against France.
Messi made it 16 goals in the history of the tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup.
Total World Cup Goals: 16
Group Stage: 11
Round of 16: 1
Quarter-finals: 1
Semi-finals: 1
Final: 2
Read Also: ‘It’s just statistics’ — Messi reacts to World Cup goals milestone
2. Miroslav Klose: The Germany forward held the record for the most goals scored at the World Cup for 12 years before Messi equalled it.
Klose scored 16 goals for Germany across four World Cups between 2002 and 2014.
He opened his World Cup account against Saudi Arabia in 2002 with a stunning hat-trick before adding goals against Republic of Ireland and Cameroon to make it five in his first-ever World Cup.
At the 2006 edition hosted by Germany, Klose scored five goals to finish as the tournament’s top scorer. He scored a brace against Costa Rica and Ecuador respectively before adding one goal against Argentina.
In 2010, Klose scored four goals with goals against Australia, England and a brace against Argentina.
In 2014, Klose broke Ronaldo’s record by scoring two goals against Ghana and Brazil respectively to take his tally to 16 in the tournament’s history.
3. Ronaldo Nazario: The Brazilian great is the third top scorer in World Cup’s history with 15 goals across three tournaments in 19 matches.
At the 1998 edition, Ronaldo made his World Cup debut in the tournament, scoring one apiece against Morocco, and Netherlands before scoring a brace against Chile to make it four in France.
Ronaldo scored eight goals in the 2022 edition of the tournament, scoring a brace against Turkey, Costa Rica, and Germany respectively before adding goals against China and Belgium.
He won the golden boot after scoring a brace against Germany in the final.
At the 2006 edition in Germany, Ronaldo scored three goals, two against Japan and one against Ghana.
4. Gerd Muller scored 14 goals in 13 matches across two World Cup tournaments for Germany. He held the all-time World Cup scoring record for 32 years before Ronaldo surpassed him in 2006.
He scored 10 goals at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico which Brazil won.
Read Also: Mbappe sets goal record as France beat Senegal at World Cup
Muller scored a hat-trick against Bulgaria and Italy, a brace against England and one goal apiece against Morocco and Peru respectively to finish as the tournament’s top scorer.
The Breakdown
Morocco (Group Stage) – 1 goal
Bulgaria (Group Stage) – Hat-trick (3 goals)
Peru (Group Stage) – 1 goal
England (Quarter-final) – 2 goals
Italy (Semi-final) – Hat-trick (3 goals)
In 1974, he scored four goals to lead West Germany to the trophy on home soil.
He scored two goals against Yugoslavia and one each against Australia and Netherlands.
5. Kylian Mbappe: The French star has scored 14 World Cup goals across three tournaments in 15 matches.
The Real Madrid forward opened his World Cup account against Peru in the group stage in 2018 edition before scoring a brace against Argentina in the second round and he added a goal against Croatia in the final to lead France to the trophy.
At the 2022 edition, Mbappe scored eight goals to lead France to a second consecutive final which they lost to Argentina.
He scored a brace against Denmark and Poland before adding one goal against Australia and he capped it off with a hat-trick in the final against Argentina.
The Breakdown
Australia (Group Stage) – 1 goal
Denmark (Group Stage) – 2 goals
Poland (Round of 16) – 2 goals
Argentina (Final) – Hat-trick (3 goals)
Mbappe won the Golden Boot with eight goals and became only the second player in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup Final.
He made it 14 goals with a brace against Senegal in France’s opening clash against Senegal to overtake Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals for France.
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