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The 2026 edition of the World Cup is well underway, and the world's best are back out on the pitch for another chase at the trophy.
Throughout history, a handful of players have separated themselves from the rest of the pack as top goalscorers in the tournament. Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are the active players in the top 10 of the leaderboard suiting up for the 2026 World Cup.
It is worth looking at how Mbappe and Messi stack up across the tournament's history. Who has more World Cup goals, the Frenchman or the "Little Boy From Rosario"?
Here's a list of the players with their names on the scoresheet the most times in World Cup history.
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Most goals in World Cup history
| 1. | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 18 | 28 | 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 2. | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 16 | 24 | 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 |
| = | Kylian Mbappe* | France | 16 | 16 | 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 4. | Ronaldo | Brazil | 15 | 19 | 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| = | Kylian Mbappe* | France | 15 | 16 | 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 6. | Gerd Muller | West Germany | 14 | 13 | 1970, 1974 |
| 7. | Just Fontaine | France | 13 | 6 | 1958 |
| 8. | Pele | Brazil | 12 | 14 | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 |
| 9. | Sandor Kocsis | Hungary | 11 | 5 | 1954 |
| = | Jurgen Klinsmann | West Germany/Germany | 11 | 17 | 1990, 1994, 1998 |
| 11 | Helmut Rahn | West Germany | 10 | 10 | 1954, 1958 |
| = | Gary Lineker | England | 10 | 12 | 1986, 1990 |
| = | Gabriel Batistuta | Argentina | 10 | 12 | 1994, 1998, 2002 |
| = | Teofilo Cubillas | Peru | 10 | 13 | 1970, 1978, 1982 |
| = | Thomas Muller | Germany | 10 | 19 | 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 |
| = | Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 10 | 20 | 1974, 1978, 1982 |
| = | Harry Kane* | England | 10 | 12 | 2018. 2022. 2026 |
| = | Cristiano Ronaldo* | Portugal | 10 | 24 | 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
Key: * signifies an active player, year in bold means a World Cup won
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How many World Cup goals does Messi have?
- 18 goals (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
Heading into the 2026 World Cup, Messi had scored 13 goals across his five tournament campaigns. In 2022, he finally got to hoist that elusive World Cup trophy with his country, which officially immortalized him in soccer history, if he wasn't already there. In the final match against France, Messi added two goals to his tally and stretched his 2022 tournament total to a whopping seven goals.
During Argentina's first group-stage match of the 2026 World Cup, Messi was able to put not one, not two, but three goals past the Atlas Lions of Algeria. It was the first World Cup hat trick of his career and tied him with Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history. The record-breaker came just days later, as the legend turned in a vintage finish in his team's second group-stage match, a clash with Austria.
The historic goal came in the game's first half, just minutes after Messi missed a penalty kick. Here is the goal that gave the Argentine the record as well as video of the hat trick that set the stage days earlier. .
History! Lionel Messi passes Miroslav Klose with his record 17th Men’s FIFA World Cup goal. pic.twitter.com/4PS2I27nRC
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 22, 2026How many World Cup goals does Miroslav Klose have?
- 16 goals (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014)
Klose has scored 16 goals in the World Cup. Before Messi equaled his tally at the 2026 World Cup, the German stood alone as the top goalscorer in World Cup history. He finally got that last goal to put him above Ronaldo (Brazil) during one of the most famous World Cup semifinal matches in tournament history, when Germany dismantled the Brazilian hosts 7-1. With the goal, Klose got the best of Brazil both on the pitch and in the record books. He also pushed ahead as Germany's all-time leading scorer at the World Cup.
Here is Klose's goal from that night in Belo Horizonte:
How many World Cup goals does Ronaldo have?
- 15 goals (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006)
The goalscorer who sits with the second-most goals has a name soccer fans may know: Ronaldo. However, this is not Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal; this is Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima of Brazil. Ronaldo is often touted as one of the best forwards in soccer history, and his World Cup scoresheet-stuffing efforts only add to his incredible legacy. Along with currently having the second-most goals in the tournament's history, he is Brazil's all-time leading scorer at the World Cup.
Here is the two-time World Cup winner's most recent goal in the tournament.
How many World Cup goals does Mbappe have?
- 16 goals (2018, 2022, 2026)
Mbappe put his 13th goal in the back of the net during France's 2026 World Cup opener against Senegal. Despite being only 27 years old, Mbappe has already established himself as one of France's all-time greats with a French-record 57 goals through 99 international games, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Here is Mbappe's first goal against Senegal that moved him up the all-time World Cup goalscorer leaderboard:
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 16, 2026In stoppage time, Mbappe added his second goal of the game and moved ahead of Olivier Giroud to become France's all-time leading international goalscorer with 58 goals. The strike was a rocket past Edouard Mendy and into the upper corner, putting France up 3-1 and ending any chance Senegal had of mounting a comeback.
Here is Mbappe's history-making goal:
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 16, 2026Mbappe scored his 15th and 15th World Cup goals against Iraq in 2026 and looks poised to continue climbing the list of World Cup goal scorers. The top spot is definitely in the 27-year-old's sights.
Here's video of Mbappe's finishes against the Iraqis.
MBAPPÉ GOLAZO TOOK GIVE FRANCE THE EARLY LEAD! 🇫🇷
Left-footed beauty from the French captain for his 3rd goal of the tournament pic.twitter.com/uPmRtZGC7t
Unselfish from Dembélé to give Mbappé his second of the game! pic.twitter.com/bY1eMoXa9i
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 23, 2026How many World Cup goals does Gerd Muller have?
- 14 goals (1970, 1974)
Despite only playing in two World Cups, Muller put 14 goals past opposing goalkeepers. The West Germany forward is an all-timer for West Germany, and even throughout Germany's team history as a whole. He famously won the 1974 World Cup for his country by scoring the winning goal against the Netherlands to break a 1-1 tie. After the tournament, he officially retired from international soccer after the German Football Association would not let the players' wives join the team's celebration after they won the tournament.
Here is Muller's goal against the Netherlands:
How many World Cup goals does Just Fontaine have?
- 13 goals (1958)
Yes, that reads right. In a single 1958 World Cup, Fontaine scored 13 goals. The record still stands today, and may never be broken. Through six matches in that lone tournament, he averaged just over two goals a game. In his debut against Paraguay, he scored a hat trick. France ended up falling in the semifinals to the eventual champion Brazil, but not before Fontaine added four more goals to his tournament tally against Germany in the third-place match.
Here are Fontaine's highlights from the 1958 World Cup:
How many World Cup goals does Pele have?
- 12 goals (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970)
One of soccer's biggest icons, Pele, has given his country 12 goals at the World Cup. He shared the pitch with Fontaine during the 1958 semifinal in Sweden and scored a hat trick in that match to become the youngest player in World Cup history to score a hat trick (17 years & 244 days), according to FIFA. In the final against host Sweden, Pele scored two more goals en route to a 5-2 victory to deliver the World Cup trophy to Brazil for the first time.
Here are the Brazilian's highlights from that 1958 World Cup Final in Solna, Sweden:
How many World Cup goals does Cristiano Ronaldo have?
- 10 goals (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2026)
Through five previous editions of the World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored eight times. A brace against Uzbekistan in the 2026 group stage made him the latest player into double figures at the tournament.
In 2022, Ronaldo became the first male player to score in five separate World Cup tournaments after slotting a penalty kick in Ghana's net. He has now extended that record to six.
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