We’ve got an electric end to the 2026 FIFA World Cup on tap for this weekend. Some all-time players will go head-to-head to decide whether Argentina or Spain will hoist the World Cup trophy and write their names into history. With that history in mind, let’s look into some important World Cup history: who has scored the most World Cup goals?
1. Lionel Messi, Argentina: 21 Goals
The GOAT keeps adding to his tally. In a tournament filled with record-breaking performances, Messi has surged to the top, racking up eight goals to surge past Miroslav Klose for the top spot on the all-time leaderboard. Ahead of what is perhaps his final World Cup match, Messi has the chance to go out with back-to-back World Cup wins while adding to the all-time leading mark. But someone else is right on his heels.
2. Kylian Mbappé, France: 20 Goals
It’s incredible for a 27-year-old to be so high on the list, but Kylian Mbappé is deservedly on his way to the top. The defending Golden Boot winner, Mbappé, is tied with Lionel Messi for the Boot in this 2026 World Cup, and the two have been going back and forth all tournament long.
Though it’s not much consolation for Mbappé, who lost to Spain with a chance at a third straight final on the line, he has a chance to tie or re-break the record in the third-place match against England on Saturday. Even if he doesn’t, the French superstar will be only 31 years old when the next World Cup rolls around and will surely break it then.
3. Miroslav Klose, Germany: 16 Goals
It’s incredible for a 27-year-old to be so high on the list, but Kylian Mbappé is deservedly on his way to the top. The defending Golden Boot winner, Mbappé, is tied with Lionel Messi for the Boot in this 2026 World Cup, and the two have been going back and forth all tournament long.
Though it’s not much consolation for Mbappé, who lost to Spain with a chance at a third straight final on the line, he has a chance to tie or re-break the record in the third-place match against England on Saturday. Even if he doesn’t, the French superstar will be only 31 years old when the next World Cup rolls around and will surely break it then.
4. Ronaldo, Brazil: 15 Goals
Here’s another previous record holder. Ronaldo Nazário, the star of the 2002 World Cup, was a force for the Brazilian national team for the better part of a decade. With 15 goals in 19 matches, he was the paragon of scoring efficiency in his day.
Ronaldo is most famous for his brace in the 2002 World Cup Final. The superstar striker scored twice in the second half to secure victory over Germany, bagging his second World Cup title in the process. While his 2006 campaign didn’t go as planned, his three goals in that tournament did put him over the line for the record at the time.
T-5. Gerd Müller, Germany: 14 Goals
Your granddad’s favorite goal scorer, Müller, set records wherever he went. Müller bagged a whopping 10 goals at the 1970 World Cup, setting the record by surpassing Just Fontaine. He would hold that record for 36 years, until Ronaldo broke it. In addition to his World Cup record, Müller scored 68 goals in 62 career matches for Germany, a record Klose took over 130 matches to break. He also remains the all-time leading scorer in the Bundesliga.
While time continues to pass Müller by, it’s a testament to his talents that his records remained at or near the top for so long. With so many of his contemporaries falling by the wayside, Müller’s time at the top looks all the more impressive.
T-5. Harry Kane, England: 14 Goals
It’s hard to know what the future holds for Harry Kane at the World Cup. Now England’s all-time leading World Cup scorer, passing the great Gary Lineker, Kane’s best chance to bring it home passed this year. But he still has a third-place game on tap, and he could break his tie with Müller.
The problem for Kane is that Father Time is undefeated. While he is in peak goal-scoring mode at 32, who knows what will happen in four years? At best, he’s 36 years old and a few steps slower. At worst, injuries and ineffectiveness creep in. But the allure of bringing home England’s first World Cup since 1966 is hard to deny.
