World Cup All-Time Top Scorers
The leading goalscorers in the history of the FIFA World Cup, ranked by total goals across every tournament, updated after the 2026 World Cup.
Most goals(all World Cups)
- 1
Kylian MbappéActiveFrance22Goals - 2
Lionel MessiActiveArgentina21Goals - 3
Miroslav KloseGermany16Goals - 4
RonaldoBrazil15Goals - 5
Gerd MüllerWest Germany14Goals - 6
Harry KaneActiveEngland14Goals - 7
Just FontaineFrance13Goals - 8
PeléBrazil12Goals - 9
Sándor KocsisHungary11Goals - 10
Jürgen KlinsmannGermany11Goals
Source: Wikipedia, “List of FIFA World Cup top goalscorers”, as of July 2026, after the 2026 World Cup. Totals count goals across every World Cup finals tournament.
Mbappé, Messi and a rewritten record book
For most of its history the World Cup's all-time scoring record changed hands slowly, but the 2026 tournament rewrote the charts. Both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé sailed past Miroslav Klose's long-standing mark of 16, with Mbappé finishing on top as the new record-holder on 22 goals to Messi's 21.
Klose (16) had himself overtaken the great Brazilian Ronaldo (15) back in 2014. Behind them, the list is a journey through World Cup history: Germany's Gerd Müller, France's Just Fontaine, whose 13 goals in a single 1958 tournament remain a record, and the immortal Pelé, a three-time World Cup winner.
England captain Harry Kane (14) is the other active name high on the list, a reminder that while the old records have finally fallen, the next generation is already chasing the new ones.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the all-time top scorer at the World Cup?+
Kylian Mbappé is the FIFA World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer with 22 goals, having overtaken Lionel Messi and Miroslav Klose during the 2026 tournament.
How many World Cup goals has Lionel Messi scored?+
Lionel Messi has scored 21 World Cup goals, second on the all-time list. He passed Miroslav Klose's long-standing record of 16 during the 2026 World Cup, only for Kylian Mbappé to finish ahead of him.
Who held the World Cup scoring record before Mbappé?+
Germany's Miroslav Klose held the record with 16 goals, set at the 2014 World Cup when he passed Brazil's Ronaldo (15). Klose's mark stood for 12 years until both Messi and Mbappé overtook it in 2026.
Who has scored the most goals in a single World Cup?+
France's Just Fontaine holds the single-tournament record with 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, a mark that has never been seriously threatened.
Which players have scored 15 or more World Cup goals?+
Four players have reached 15 or more World Cup goals: Kylian Mbappé (22), Lionel Messi (21), Miroslav Klose (16) and Ronaldo of Brazil (15).