World Cup all-time top scorers

June 22, 2026 9:29 pm

Lionel Messi became the outright leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history after scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday.

The Argentine captain moved ahead of former Germany striker Miroslav Klose, taking his tally to 18 World Cup goals.

World Cup all-time leading scorers:

Goals
Player
Country

18
Lionel Messi
Argentina

16
Miroslav Klose
Germany

15
Ronaldo
Brazil

14
Gerd Müller
Germany

14
Kylian Mbappé
France

13
Just Fontaine
France

12
Pelé
Brazil

11
Jürgen Klinsmann
Germany

11
Sándor Kocsis
Hungary

10
Gabriel Batistuta
Argentina

10
Harry Kane
England

Messi’s latest feat came as Argentina secured a place in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, maintaining their perfect start to the tournament with six points from two matches.

Adetutu Sobowale

Adetutu has three years experience in publishing stories on gender, health, education, metro and fact-checking.

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