Who has the scored the most World Cup goals in the Men’s tournament? That is a question that will have been on the mind of football supporters all over the globe after Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe’s heroics on MD1 of the 2026 group stages.
The World Cup top goalscorer odds have been trimmed considerably – in particular for Messi – after the superstar forward put Algeria to the sword in Kansas with a stunning hat-trick in a 3-0 win over the North Africans.
As for Mbappe, the Real Madrid star opened his account with a brace against Senegal in a 3-1 victory. Both players are very much in line to go on and contest the 2026 Golden Boot but how do they compare when it comes to the all-time World Cup goalscorer list?
Most World Cup Goals In History
| Rank | Player | Country | Goals | Matches | Tournaments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 16 | 24 | 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 |
| T1 | Lionel Messi* | Argentina | 16 | 27 | 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 2. | Ronaldo | Brazil | 15 | 19 | 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| T3 | Gerd Muller | West Germany | 14 | 13 | 1970, 1974 |
| T3 | Kylian Mbappe* | France | 14 | 15 | 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 5 | Just Fontaine | France | 13 | 6 | 1958 |
| 7. | Pele | Brazil | 12 | 14 | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 |
| T8. | Sandor Kocsis | Hungary | 11 | 5 | 1954 |
| T8. | Jurgen Klinsmann | West Germany/Germany | 11 | 17 | 1990, 1994, 1998 |
| T10. | Helmut Rahn | West Germany | 10 | 10 | 1954, 1958 |
| T10 | Gary Lineker | England | 10 | 12 | 1986, 1990 |
| T10 | Gabriel Batistuta | Argentina | 10 | 12 | 1994, 1998, 2002 |
| T10 | Teofilo Cubillas | Peru | 10 | 13 | 1970, 1978, 1982 |
| T10 | Thomas Muller | Germany | 10 | 19 | 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 |
| T10 | Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 10 | 20 | 1974, 1978, 1982 |
- * Both still active players
Who Has The Most World Cup Goals?
As it stands, the record is jointly held by Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Germany’s Miroslav Klose. Both players have scored 16 times in the Men’s edition. In the Women’s World Cup, Marta leads the rankings with a total of 17 goals.
How Many World Cup Goals Has Kylian Mbappe Scored?
After the MD1 victory over Senegal, Kylian Mbappe has now scored 14 World Cup finals goals in total. Mbappe scored four times at the 2018 tournament in Russia and eight times at the 2022 event in Qatar. He has scored twice – so far – in the 2026 North America extravaganza.
Has Lionel Messi Won The World Cup Golden Boot?
Lionel Messi has never won the World Cup Golden Boot in his five previous editions. However, he came runner-up in Qatar with seven goals and his three this year means he leads the charts at present. Which is something to consider when it comes to World Cup betting.
When Did Kylian Mbappe Win The World Cup Golden Boot?
Kylian Mbappe won the 2022 Golden Boot after he scored eight times in Qatar, beating Messi who netted seven times. Three of Mbappe’s strikes came in the final against Argentina which meant he joined Geoff Hurst as the only two players to score World Cup final hat-tricks.
How Many Goals Has Ronaldo Scored At The World Cup?
Ronaldo scored a total of 15 goals for Brazil at the World Cup across 19 appearances. Eight of his efforts came in 2002 whereby he won the Golden Boot award. The Selecao legend netted four goals at France ’98 and three time at Germany ’06.
Has Cristiano Ronaldo Ever Scored A Knockout Goal At The World Cup?
Having scored eight times across five different editions, all of Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup goals have come in the group stages. The Portuguese legend scored against Iran in 2006, North Korea in 2010, Ghana in 2014, Spain (3) and Morocco in 2018 and Ghana in 2022.
If you intend to bet on the 2026 World Cup then please take the time to read through BetVictor’s safe and responsible gambling page which will provide good advice on how to stay in control when betting on football.
Any betting decisions should be made responsibly and there are no guarantees when it comes to match outcomes. All odds correct as of 2pm on June 17, 2026 and are subject to change.
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