FIFA World Cup all-time leading goal scorers
By Joel Masibo, June 17, 2026Lionel Messi has etched his name even deeper into FIFA World Cup history after drawing level with German legend Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s joint all-time leading scorer.
The Argentine captain reached the milestone during Argentina’s opening Group J match against Algeria at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scoring a hat-trick in a commanding 3-0 victory. The three goals took Messi’s World Cup tally to 16, matching Klose’s long-standing record and placing the two football icons at the summit of the tournament’s scoring charts.
Messi’s latest achievement adds another remarkable chapter to an illustrious international career. The 38-year-old, who is featuring in his sixth World Cup, has now scored 16 goals across tournaments in 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026. His treble against Algeria was also the first World Cup hat-trick of his career.
Before the start of the 2026 tournament, Klose stood alone at the top of the scoring rankings with 16 goals amassed over four World Cup appearances between 2002 and 2014. The former Germany striker netted five goals in both the 2002 and 2006 editions, added four in 2010 and two more as Germany lifted the trophy in Brazil in 2014.
Brazilian great Ronaldo remains close behind with 15 World Cup goals. Widely regarded as one of the finest strikers in football history, Ronaldo scored across four tournaments, with his most prolific campaign coming in 2002 when he found the net eight times and guided Brazil to World Cup glory.
Mbappe joins the greats
French superstar Kylian Mbappe has also continued his rapid rise among the competition’s greatest scorers. His brace in France’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup moved him to 14 goals, level with German legend Gerd Muller and ahead of fellow Frenchman Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals in a single tournament in 1958. At just his third World Cup, Mbappe has already accumulated 14 goals in only 15 appearances.
Among the other celebrated names in the top scorers list are Brazil’s Pele with 12 goals, Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann and Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis with 11 each, while Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta, Peru’s Teofilo Cubillas, Poland’s Grzegorz Lato, England’s Gary Lineker and Germany’s Thomas Muller are among a group of players who have scored 10 goals on football’s biggest stage.
The World Cup’s rich history has witnessed generations of prolific goalscorers, from the exploits of Fontaine, Kocsis and Ademir in the 1950s to the brilliance of Pele, Muller and Ronaldo in later decades. Now, Messi’s latest feat has ensured his place alongside Klose at the top of the all-time standings.
With Argentina still at the beginning of their 2026 World Cup campaign, Messi has the opportunity to move clear of Klose and become the outright leading scorer in World Cup history, further cementing his legacy as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.