Most World Cup Goals by a Player Ever — All-Time Top Scorers List
Kylian Mbappé of France is now the greatest goalscorer in World Cup history. Miroslav Klose's record of 16 stood for twelve years and fell twice at the 2026 World Cup — first to Lionel Messi, who finished on 21 across six tournaments, and then to Mbappé, whose ten goals in North America took him to 22 in only his third. Below is the complete all-time ranking.
| Rank | Player | Country | Goals | Tournaments | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Kylian MbappeAll-time record | 🇫🇷 France | 22 | 3 | 2018 2022 2026 |
| 🥈 | Lionel Messi | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 21 | 6 | 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 |
| 🥉 | Miroslav Klose | 🇩🇪 Germany | 16 | 4 | 2002 2006 2010 2014 |
| 4 | Ronaldo Nazario | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 15 | 4 | 1994 1998 2002 2006 |
| 5 | Gerd Muller | 🇩🇪 West Germany | 14 | 2 | 1970 1974 |
| 5 | Harry KaneActive | 🏴 England | 14 | 3 | 2018 2022 2026 |
| 7 | Just FontaineAll 13 in one tournament | 🇫🇷 France | 13 | 1 | 1958 |
| 7 | Pele | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 12 | 4 | 1958 1962 1966 1970 |
| 9 | Sandor Kocsis | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 11 | 1 | 1954 |
| 9 | Jurgen Klinsmann | 🇩🇪 Germany | 11 | 4 | 1986 1990 1994 1998 |
| 9 | Cristiano RonaldoSix World Cups | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 11 | 6 | 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 |
| 12 | Helmut Rahn | 🇩🇪 West Germany | 10 | 2 | 1954 1958 |
| 12 | Gary Lineker | 🏴 England | 10 | 2 | 1986 1990 |
| 12 | Gabriel Batistuta | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 10 | 3 | 1994 1998 2002 |
| 12 | Teofilo Cubillas | 🇵🇪 Peru | 10 | 3 | 1970 1978 1982 |
| 12 | Thomas Muller | 🇩🇪 Germany | 10 | 3 | 2010 2014 2018 |
| 12 | Grzegorz Lato | 🇵🇱 Poland | 10 | 3 | 1974 1978 1982 |
| 18 | Eusebio | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 9 | 1 | 1966 |
| 18 | Christian Vieri | 🇮🇹 Italy | 9 | 3 | 1994 1998 2002 |
| 18 | Ademir | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 9 | 1 | 1950 |
Key Facts
- →Klose's record of 16 was passed twice at the 2026 World Cup: first by Lionel Messi, who finished on 21, then by Kylian Mbappé, who finished on 22.
- →Just Fontaine scored all 13 of his goals in a single tournament in 1958 — a record considered one of the most unbreakable in all of football.
- →Mbappé took 22 matches to reach 22 goals. Messi needed 34, and Cristiano Ronaldo has 11 in 27.
- →Cristiano Ronaldo scored at six different World Cups — the only player ever to do so. His 11 career goals make him Portugal's all-time top scorer in the competition.
- →Harry Kane won the Golden Boot in 2018 with 6 goals. Six more in 2026 took him to 14 in total, level with Gerd Muller.
- →Germany as a nation produced 4 of the top 18 all-time scorers — Klose, Gerd Muller, Thomas Muller and Klinsmann.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has scored the most World Cup goals of all time?
Kylian Mbappé of France holds the all-time record with 22 World Cup goals, set at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Miroslav Klose's record of 16 had stood since 2014 and was passed twice at that tournament — by Lionel Messi, who finished on 21, and then by Mbappé.
Has Mbappe broken Klose's World Cup goals record?
Yes. Kylian Mbappé scored 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup, taking his career total to 22 and passing Miroslav Klose's record of 16. Lionel Messi passed Klose at the same tournament and finished on 21, second all-time. At 27, Mbappé could extend his own record at the 2030 World Cup.
How many World Cup goals did Messi score?
Lionel Messi scored 21 World Cup goals across six tournaments between 2006 and 2026, second on the all-time list behind Kylian Mbappé. Eight of them came at the 2026 World Cup, where he took Argentina to the final and passed Miroslav Klose's record of 16 along the way.
Who scored the most goals in a single World Cup tournament?
Just Fontaine of France scored 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden — all in just six matches. The record has stood for over 65 years and is widely considered one of the most unbreakable records in football.
How many World Cup goals did Cristiano Ronaldo score?
Cristiano Ronaldo scored 10 World Cup goals across six tournaments between 2006 and 2026. He is the first and only player to have scored at six different World Cup tournaments — a milestone he reached with a brace against Uzbekistan at the 2026 World Cup.
Who is England's all-time top scorer at the World Cup?
Harry Kane is England's all-time top scorer at the World Cup with 9 goals across three tournaments — 2018, 2022 and 2026. He won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup with 6 goals in Russia.
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