With the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, it’s impossible not to recall several players who left their mark with iconic and memorable goals in the tournament’s history.
Now, with less than 90 days to go before the ball starts rolling again and we celebrate every goal, we take a look back at the top scorers in World Cup history.
The players who have scored the most goals in the World Cup
Since its first edition in 1930 and nearly a century later, the tournament has seen more than 2,000 goals scored across all matches played (964 matches and 2,720 goals, according to Yahoo Sports).
However, soccer fans and the players themselves know that a single goal can make all the difference, and the man responsible for scoring it was Miroslav Klose, wearing the German jersey. The forward leads the all-time scoring table with 16 goals in 24 matches: 5 goals in both the 2002 and 2006 tournaments, another four in 2010, and two more in 2014, when they won the championship.
Behind the German forward is one of the greatest icons of Brazilian soccer with 15 goals: Ronaldo Nazário. Although he did not play in the 1994 World Cup, he scored four goals in 1998 and eight in 2002-when they also took home their fifth title-and another three in 2006.
Rounding out the top 3 is another legendary German striker, Gerd Müller, with 14 goals in just 13 matches, one of the best scoring averages in the tournament’s history.
Behind them are two players with 13 goals each: France’s Just Fontaine, who achieved this total solely in the 1958 World Cup, and Argentina’s captain, Lionel Messi, who has played in five World Cups but can still add to his tally. Leo scored one goal in 2006, four in 2014, one more in 2018 and seven in the last edition, in 2022 where he lifted the World Cup.
Finally, another young French player joins the list and aims to make history: Kylian Mbappé. At 27, he has already played in two tournaments, was a world champion in 2018, and has 12 goals, tying with the legendary “O’Rei,” Pelé.
World Cup history shows that goals are the universal language of the tournament. And while new stars prepare to shine, the names of Miroslav Klose, Ronaldo Nazário, and company continue to set the standard for greatness on soccer’s biggest stage.
All-Time World Cup Top Scorers
- Miroslav Klose, Germany: 16 goals, 24 matches, 4 World Cups.
- Ronaldo Nazário, Brazil: 15 goals, 19 matches, 4 World Cups.
- Gerd Müller, West Germany: 14 goals, 13 matches, 2 World Cups.
- Just Fontaine, France: 13 goals, 6 matches, 1 World Cup.
- Lionel Messi, Argentina: 13 goals, 26 matches, 5 World Cups.
- Kylian Mbappé, France: 12 goals, 14 matches, 2 World Cups.
- Pelé, Brazil: 12 goals, 14 matches, 4 World Cups.
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