The FIFA World Cup has produced some of football’s greatest goalscorers since its inception in 1930, with legends from across generations featuring on the all-time scoring chart.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Germany’s Miroslav Klose now share the top spot following Messi’s hat-trick against Algeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group J opener in Kansas City on Wednesday.
Below is the official list of the leading scorers in World Cup history as provided by FIFA on Wednesday.
FULL LIST: FIFA World Cup all-time leading scorers
1. Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goals
World Cups: 4 (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014), in 24 matches
Miroslav Klose scored 16 World Cup goals in 23 games for the German national team. Credit…European Pressphoto Agency via New York Times2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 16 goals
World Cups: 6 (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026), in 27 matches
3. Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) – 15 goals
World Cups: 4
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