All-time greatest: who is the highest goalscorer in World Cup history?

The Guardian UK Wednesday 17 June 2026, 17:13 UTC By Seán Clarke and Andrew Beasley 1 min read

Key Points

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé are vying to become not just 2026 World Cup winners but also the greatest goalscorers in the history of the tournament. Here’s how they compare with others on the all-time listGolden Boot: World Cup 2026 top goalscorers Lionel Messi started his 2026 World Cup campaign with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria. The trio of strikes gave him a career total of 16 World Cup goals, equalling the existing record held by Miroslav Klose.

Golden Boot: World Cup 2026 top goalscorers

Lionel Messi started his 2026 World Cup campaign with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria.

The trio of strikes gave him a career total of 16 World Cup goals, equalling the existing record held by Miroslav Klose. It’s reasonable to expect the Inter Miami player to set a new mark this summer but he is being chased hard by Kylian Mbappé. He scored twice in France’s opening match victory against Senegal, giving him a total of 14 goals since his competition debut eight years ago.

World Cup (EVENT) Lionel Messi (PERSON) Kylian Mbappé (PERSON) 2026 World Cup (EVENT) Algeria (LOCATION) Miroslav Klose (PERSON) Inter Miami (ORG) France (LOCATION) Senegal (LOCATION)

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All-time greatest: who is the highest goalscorer in World Cup history?

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