World Cup All-Time Top Scorers: Mbappé, Messi, Klose and the Records
Who has scored the most World Cup goals? The all-time top scorers after 2026, every Golden Boot record and how Mbappé and Messi passed Klose's mark of 16.
For twelve years the answer to “who has scored the most World Cup goals?” was Miroslav Klose, with 16. The 2026 World Cup changed that. Lionel Messi passed Klose during the tournament, and Kylian Mbappé then overtook Messi with two goals in the third-place match. This page shows the all-time ranking after 2026, how the record has changed hands over the decades, and the other scoring records that matter.
All-time World Cup top scorers (after 2026)
| Rank | Player | Country | Goals | World Cups with goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 22 | 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 21 | 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 3 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 16 | 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 |
| 4 | Ronaldo | Brazil | 15 | 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| 5= | Gerd Müller | West Germany | 14 | 1970, 1974 |
| 5= | Harry Kane | England | 14 | 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 7 | Just Fontaine | France | 13 | 1958 |
| 8 | Pelé | Brazil | 12 | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 |
Figures cover men’s World Cup final tournaments only. Qualifying matches do not count.
How the leaders built their totals
| Player | Goals per tournament |
|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappé | 2018: 4 · 2022: 8 · 2026: 10 |
| Lionel Messi | 2006: 1 · 2010: 0 · 2014: 4 · 2018: 1 · 2022: 7 · 2026: 8 |
| Miroslav Klose | 2002: 5 · 2006: 5 · 2010: 4 · 2014: 2 |
Mbappé needed only three tournaments to reach 22 goals. Messi’s tally is spread across six World Cups. Klose scored at least twice in each of his four.
How the record changed hands
The all-time record has only had a few holders since 1930:
| Period | Record holder | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1958–1974 | Just Fontaine (France) | 13 |
| 1974–2006 | Gerd Müller (West Germany) | 14 |
| 2006–2014 | Ronaldo (Brazil) | 15 |
| 2014–2026 | Miroslav Klose (Germany) | 16 |
| 2026 | Lionel Messi (Argentina) | 17–21 |
| since 2026 | Kylian Mbappé (France) | 22 |
Klose scored his record-breaking 16th goal in Germany’s 7-1 semi-final win over Brazil in 2014, at Ronaldo’s home World Cup. His record lasted until Messi scored his 17th goal at the 2026 tournament. Mbappé finished the 2026 World Cup with two goals against England in the third-place match in Miami, which lifted him from 20 to 22 and past Messi.
Golden Boot records
The Golden Boot goes to the top scorer of each tournament. If players finish level on goals, assists decide, then fewer minutes played.
| Record | Holder | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Most goals at a single World Cup | Just Fontaine (France) | 13 goals in 1958, in six matches |
| Most Golden Boots | Kylian Mbappé (France) | 2 (2022 with 8 goals, 2026 with 10) |
Fontaine’s 13 goals in 1958 remain the single-tournament record. No one has come closer than Sándor Kocsis with 11 in 1954 and Gerd Müller with 10 in 1970. Mbappé matched Müller’s 10 in 2026, though he played eight matches in the new 48-team format.
Recent Golden Boot winners
| Tournament | Winner | Country | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 10 |
| 2022 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 8 |
| 2018 | Harry Kane | England | 6 |
| 2014 | James Rodríguez | Colombia | 6 |
| 2010 | Thomas Müller | Germany | 5 |
| 2006 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 5 |
| 2002 | Ronaldo | Brazil | 8 |
| 1998 | Davor Šuker | Croatia | 6 |
Other goal-scoring records
Hat-tricks in a final
Two players have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final: Geoff Hurst for England in 1966 and Kylian Mbappé for France in 2022. Mbappé is also the top scorer in finals overall, with four goals (one in 2018, three in 2022).
Most goals in a single match
Oleg Salenko scored five goals for Russia against Cameroon in 1994. No one else has scored five in a World Cup match.
Scoring in many tournaments
Pelé, Uwe Seeler, Miroslav Klose and Cristiano Ronaldo had all scored in four World Cups. In 2022 Cristiano Ronaldo became the first to score in five. In 2026 Lionel Messi also reached five scoring tournaments; his only World Cup without a goal was 2010.
Most appearances
Lionel Messi holds the record for the most World Cup matches. He passed Lothar Matthäus (25) in 2022 and extended his lead at his sixth World Cup in 2026, where Argentina played all eight possible matches up to the final.
Why the records are falling now
Several factors explain why the scoring records changed so quickly in 2026:
- More matches. With 48 teams and a round of 32, a team that reaches the final plays eight games instead of seven.
- Longer careers. Messi played World Cups across 20 years, from 2006 to 2026.
- Mbappé’s early start. He scored four goals as a 19-year-old in 2018 and was still only 27 during the 2026 tournament.
- More goals overall. The 2026 tournament averaged 2.96 goals per match, the highest rate since 1970.
With the 2030 World Cup also expected to have at least 48 teams, Mbappé could add to his record. You can follow the plans in our 2030 World Cup guide. For the scores of every 2026 knockout match, see the 2026 World Cup results, and for every champion since 1930 the list of World Cup winners.