Top 11 highest scorers in FIFA World Cup history ft. Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe & Lionel Messi

The history of the competition has seen some of the most gifted footballers shine.

The FIFA World Cup has produced some of football’s greatest goal scorers. From Miroslav Klose’s record-breaking tally to Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe’s remarkable achievements, several legends have left their mark on the tournament.

Here’s the updated list of the highest goal scorers in FIFA World Cup history as of July 2026.

Here are the top 11 all-time highest scorers in the FIFA World Cup.

Rank	Player	Country	Goals
1	Kylian Mbappé	France	22
2	Lionel Messi	Argentina	21
3	Miroslav Klose	Germany	16
4	Ronaldo Nazario	Brazil	15
5	Gerd Muller	Germany	14
=	Harry Kane	England	14
7	Just Fontaine	France	13
8	Pelé	Brazil	12
9	Sándor Kocsis	Hungary	11
=	Jürgen Klinsmann	West Germany/Germany	11
=	Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	11

11. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 11 goals

Ronaldo, with his penalty goal against Croatia in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026, has now taken his tally to 11 World Cup goals. He is the only male footballer to score in six separate FIFA World Cup editions.

10. Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany) – 11 goals

Jürgen Klinsmann is next up on the list, having scored 11 goals for Die Mannschaft in the tournament. He represented both West Germany and Germany after the unification. The player scored 11 goals in three editions across 17 games.

9. Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) – 11 goals

Sándor Kocsis is one of Hungary’s all-time greatest players. The striker scored all of his 11 goals in the 1954 World Cup, guiding them to the final. He played five matches to score 11 goals at a rate of 2.20 goals per game. He further has a record of scoring 75 goals in 68 appearances for Hungary. 

8. Pelé (Brazil) – 12 goals

Pele is hailed as one of the greatest players to ever grace the sport. The legendary forward was an exceptional goalscorer throughout his career. One of the highest scorers in the FIFA World Cup, He netted 12 times, helping Brazil to clinch the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970. 

7. Just Fontaine (France) – 13 goals

France have had several legendary strikers play for them on the international stage. One of them was Just Fontaine and perhaps one of the most clinical strikers of his generation. Fontaine scored 13 goals in merely six games in the 1958 World Cup. 

6. Harry Kane (England) – 14 goals

The England striker has been in phenomenal form in the 202 World Cup, scoring six goals to fire the Three Lions to the quarter-finals. He also became his country’s all-time top scorer in the quadrennial tournament, overtaking Gary Lineker’s record (10 goals).

5. Gerd Müller (West Germany) – 14 goals

Gerd Müller is considered to be one of the best forwards of all time. He played for West Germany at the 1970 and 1974 FIFA World Cup editions, scoring 14 goals in 13 appearances. Gerd Müller is the highest goalscorer ever in the Bundesliga as well. He also guided West Germany to the 1974 FIFA World Cup triumph.

4. Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) – 15 goals

Ronaldo is still considered by many as the best and most complete striker ever. The Brazilian scored 15 goals to be the second-highest scorer in the history of the FIFA World Cup. He played in four editions of the tournament (1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006). Brazil lifted the 2002 FIFA World Cup trophy, courtesy of its two goals in the final against Germany.  

3. Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goals

Miroslav Klose holds the top spot among the highest scorers in the FIFA World Cup. The German played in the 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 editions, winning it once. He scored an overall 16 goals in 24 matches. He has made the second-most World Cup appearances as well, one behind fellow countryman Lothar Matthäus.

2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 21 goals

A 2022 FIFA World Cup winner and Golden Ball recipient, Lionel Messi is playing in his sixth World Cup in 2026. Often hailed as the greatest player of all time, the Argentine superstar enhanced his remarkable record with a hat-trick against Algeria.

He has broken Miroslav Klose’s record for all-time World Cup goals against Austria during Argentina’s second fixture of the 2026 World Cup.

1. Kylian Mbappé (France) – 22 goals

Kylian Mbappé has taken his FIFA World Cup tally to 22 goals after a sensational brace during the France vs England third-place playoff, making him the all-time highest scorer in the tournament’s history. Mbappé has scored 10goals in just eight matches of the 2026 World Cup, leading the Golden Boot race.

**Statistics sourced from FIFA official records and World Cup match data. Updated on July 18, 2026.

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