All-time top scorers in FIFA World Cup history

The FIFA World Cup is the apex of international football, a stage where legends are born and records are etched. Scoring on that stage is among the most celebrated feats, and a handful of players have stood out as the competition’s most prolific finishers across multiple tournaments.

Lionel Messi leads the list with 18 goals across six World Cups (2006–2026), having played 28 matches. He became the youngest Argentine to play and score in a World Cup, endured a goal drought in 2010, reached the 2014 final and won the Golden Ball, and then captained Argentina to the 2022 title—scoring in every knockout match, including two in the final against France and earning a second Golden Ball.

Messi opened the 2026 tournament with a hat-trick versus Algeria and then dethroned Miroslav Klose with two more goals versus Austria. Kylian Mbappé and Miroslav Klose sit behind Messi with 16 goals each.

Argentina

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