All-Time World Cup Top Scorers: Messi Makes History, Who's Next On The List?

The GOAT continues to amaze the world as Lionel Messi now reigns supreme at the top of the list of all-time goalscorers at the World Cup. 

With his two goal against Austria in Argentina's group-stage game on June 22, Messi surpassed the long-standing record held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose. It came a week after Messi scored his first career World Cup hat trick in a win over Algeria, while also setting the record as the oldest player (38) to record a hat trick at the tournament — passing Cristiano Ronaldo's feat from 2022 when he was 33 years old. 

But this list could change even more. France's Kylian Mbappé has 16 goals all time at the World Cup, tied for the second-most ever, and is already adding to his tally this summer. With that being said, here are the players with the most goals in World Cup men's history. Let's take a look.

Messi's five goals at the 2026 World Cup have now given him one yet another record on his résumé. Messi has played in every World Cup since 2006 and scored in all but one (2010). He scored seven goals at the 2022 World Cup. Messi is also Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer with 122 to his name and additionally holds the record for most World Cup matches played with 28.

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Mbappé has scored an outrageous 16 goals in just 16 World Cup matches in his career. As a 19-year-old in 2018, he scored four goals for France, helping it win its first title since 1998, and then he scored eight goals in 2022 — most notably netting the second hat trick in a World Cup final ever against Argentina. At the 2026 tournament, he has four so far. 

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Playing in four straight World Cups from 2002 to 2014, Klose scored in all four editions of