The players with the most goals at men's FIFA World Cup finals tournaments from 1930 to 2026, led by Kylian Mbappé's record 22 goals in 22 matches; three players tied on 11 goals take this top 10 to 11 names.
Kylian Mbappé is the all-time top goalscorer at the men's FIFA World Cup, with 22 goals in 22 matches for France. Lionel Messi is second with 21 and Miroslav Klose third with 16. The ranking counts goals at World Cup finals tournaments from 1930 to 2026, from Wikipedia's all-time scorers table, updated 19 July 2026 after the 2026 tournament.
This list ranks individual players by goals scored at men's FIFA World Cup finals tournaments, from the first in 1930 through the 23rd in 2026. Qualifying matches do not count, and neither do penalty shoot-outs. The record changed hands twice at the 2026 World Cup. Miroslav Klose's 16 goals, the record since 2014, were passed by Lionel Messi, who scored his 17th through 21st World Cup goals in 2026; at the same tournament Kylian Mbappé scored his 22nd to take the record. Two of the eleven, Sándor Kocsis and Just Fontaine, scored more than two goals per match.
Mbappé holds the record with 22 World Cup goals in 22 matches, ten of them at the 2026 tournament. He was the tournament's top scorer in 2022 and 2026, the only player to finish top scorer twice, and won the World Cup in 2018.
Messi scored 21 goals in 34 matches at six World Cups, scoring at five of them. His 17th through 21st goals came in 2026, when he passed Miroslav Klose's record of 16. He won the World Cup in 2022.
Klose scored 16 goals in 24 matches over four World Cups, and his 16th, in 2014, broke the Brazilian Ronaldo's record. He was top scorer in 2006 and won the tournament in 2014.
Brazil's Ronaldo scored 15 goals in 19 matches between 1998 and 2006, a record until 2014. He was top scorer when Brazil won in 2002, and was also in the 1994 winning squad without playing a match.
Müller scored 14 goals in just 13 matches for West Germany: ten in 1970, when he was top scorer, and four more in 1974, the last of them in the final that West Germany won. That 14th goal set the overall record, which stood for more than three decades.
Kane has 14 World Cup goals in 18 matches for England over three tournaments, level with Gerd Müller but in more matches. He was the 2018 tournament's top scorer.
Fontaine scored all 13 of his World Cup goals in six matches at the 1958 tournament, which is still the record for a single World Cup. His 2.17 goals per match is the second-highest rate in this top 10.
Pelé scored 12 goals in 14 matches across four World Cups for Brazil, winning the tournament in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
Kocsis scored 11 goals in five matches for Hungary at the 1954 World Cup, finishing as top scorer. His 2.20 goals per match is the best rate in this top 10.
Klinsmann scored 11 goals in 17 matches, for West Germany in 1990, when they won the World Cup, and for Germany in 1994 and 1998. He is level on 11 goals with Sándor Kocsis and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo scored 11 goals in 27 matches at six World Cups, from 2006 to 2026, and is the only player to have scored at six World Cups. He is level on 11 goals with Kocsis and Klinsmann but has played the most matches of the three.
| # | Name | Team | Matches played | Goals per match | World Cups played | Tournaments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 22 | 1.00 | 3 | 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 34 | 0.62 | 6 | 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 3 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 24 | 0.67 | 4 | 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 |
| 4 | Ronaldo (Brazil) | Brazil | 19 | 0.79 | 3 | 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| 5 | Gerd Müller | West Germany | 13 | 1.08 | 2 | 1970, 1974 |
| 6 | Harry Kane | England | 18 | 0.78 | 3 | 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| 7 | Just Fontaine | France | 6 | 2.17 | 1 | 1958 |
| 8 | Pelé | Brazil | 14 | 0.86 | 4 | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 |
| 9 | Sándor Kocsis | Hungary | 5 | 2.20 | 1 | 1954 |
| 10 | Jürgen Klinsmann | West Germany / Germany | 17 | 0.65 | 3 | 1990, 1994, 1998 |
| 11 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 27 | 0.41 | 6 | 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
Players are ranked by total goals scored at men's FIFA World Cup finals tournaments (1930-2026), from the 'Players with at least 5 goals at FIFA World Cup tournaments' table in Wikipedia's 'List of FIFA World Cup top goalscorers', revision 1380931252 (last edited 18 October 2026). The table is marked 'As of 19 July 2026' and includes the 2026 tournament through its final. The page counts goals scored at the World Cup tournaments themselves, which do not include qualifying matches, and does not count penalty shoot-outs. Goals, matches played, goals per match (as the page gives it, to two decimals) and tournaments all come from that one table. 'World Cups played' counts the tournaments in which the player appeared in at least one match; tournaments where he was in the squad but did not play (Ronaldo in 1994) are excluded. The page ranks players level on goals equally. Because each item here needs its own rank, players level on goals are separated by fewer matches played (the same as a higher goals-per-match figure): Gerd Müller (14 in 13 matches) is ranked ahead of Harry Kane (14 in 18). Three players share the page's ninth place on 11 goals: Sándor Kocsis (5 matches), Jürgen Klinsmann (17) and Cristiano Ronaldo (27). All three are included, so this top 10 runs to 11 names, ordered by the same tiebreak. The next players on the page have 10 goals.
Kylian Mbappé of France, with 22 goals in 22 matches at the 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups. Lionel Messi is second with 21 and Miroslav Klose third with 16.
Just Fontaine of France, with 13 goals in six matches in 1958. Sándor Kocsis scored eleven in 1954, and Gerd Müller (1970) and Kylian Mbappé (2026) scored ten each.
Sándor Kocsis, Jürgen Klinsmann and Cristiano Ronaldo are level on 11 goals, sharing ninth place on the source table, so all three are included rather than cutting one. They are ordered by fewer matches played: Kocsis (5), Klinsmann (17), Ronaldo (27).
Kylian Mbappé, with four: one in the 2018 final and a hat-trick in the 2022 final. Geoff Hurst of England is the only other player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, in 1966.
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