As of June 7, 2026, the top 10 all-time scorers include active players like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, both of whom are within striking distance of the record heading into the 2026 World Cup. [1, 2]
Germany’s Miroslav Klose is the all-time leading goal scorer in FIFA World Cup history with 16 goals. He is closely followed by Brazil’s Ronaldo (15 goals) and West Germany’s Gerd Müller (14 goals).
Top 10 All-Time World Cup Goal Scorers
Key Facts
- Most Goals in a Single Tournament: France’s Just Fontaine holds this untouchable record, scoring all 13 of his goals in the 1958 World Cup.
- Active Records: Lionel Messi also holds the record for most World Cup appearances with 26 matches.
- Highest Average: Sándor Kocsis has the best goal-per-game ratio in the top 10, averaging 2.2 goals per match. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]