Lionel Messi Becomes Leading World Cup Goal Scorer, Mbappé Close Behind
During the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi has claimed the record for the most goals scored in World Cup history. The Argentine forward reached this milestone with his 17th and 18th goals in a 2-0 victory over Austria. Fans now wonder how many more goals he will add before the tournament ends.
Not far behind, France's Kylian Mbappé tied for second place on the all-time scoring list just hours later, intensifying the race for the top spot.
Other Contenders Near the Top
Besides Messi and Mbappé, several other players have impressive World Cup goal totals. England’s Harry Kane and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo both have 10 goals each. Ronaldo recently made history by scoring in six different World Cups.
Profiles of Top Scorers
Jürgen Klinsmann, now known for managing Germany and the U.S., was a sharp striker who netted 11 goals across three World Cups, including during Germany's victorious 1990 campaign.
Sándor Kocsis scored all his 11 World Cup goals in 1954, including multiple hat tricks, but Hungary fell short in the final against West Germany.
Pelé dazzled as a teenager in 1958 with six goals and helped Brazil secure three World Cup titles, finishing with 12 goals overall.
Just Fontaine set a remarkable standard by scoring 13 goals in a single tournament in 1958, unmatched to this day.
Gerd Müller was a goal-scoring machine for West Germany with 14 goals over two World Cups, earning the Golden Boot in 1970.
Ronaldo shone in three World Cups after 1994, accumulating 15 goals and playing a major role in Brazil's 2002 title.
Kylian Mbappé is chasing Messi closely with 16 goals already, having scored in three tournaments and starting 2026 with a strong performance.
Miroslav Klose held the record before Messi, scoring 16 goals over four World Cups and winning in 2014.
Lionel Messi continues to build his legend, having scored his first World Cup hat trick in the opener against Algeria and breaking the record with his latest goals. At 36, he's playing his sixth World Cup and aims to extend his lead further.
