Messi, Mbappé or Klose? Top 10 World Cup Goalscorers

Brazil's Ronaldo scored 15 World Cup goals in 19 matches. He won the 2002 Golden Boot with 8 goals, including both in the final. Wikipedia lists Ronaldo with 15 goals in 19 matches, a rate of 0.79, and marks 1994 and 2002 as title tournaments, with the 1994 entry in brackets for a squad place without a match. He was the 2002 tournament top scorer. Opta Analyst says his first finals were in 1998, with 4 goals in 7 matches, and that Brazil lost the final 3-0 to France. In 2002 he scored 8 goals in 7 games, including both in the 2-0 final win over Germany in Yokohama, and was man of the match.

Müller scored 14 World Cup goals in 13 matches for West Germany, including 10 in 1970. He scored the winner in the 1974 final. Opta Analyst says he scored 10 goals on the way to the 1970 Golden Boot and scored in each of his first 5 World Cup appearances, including hat-tricks against Bulgaria and Peru 3 days apart. He scored twice in the 1970 semi-final defeat to Italy and did not score in the third-place match against Uruguay. In 1974 he added 4 goals in 7 appearances, including the winner in the 2-1 final against the Netherlands at the Olympiastadion in Munich. He held the record for 32 years.

Kane has 14 World Cup goals in 18 matches for England, level with Gerd Müller. He won the 2018 Golden Boot with 6 goals. Wikipedia lists the same 14 goals and 0.78 rate, with tournament years 2018, 2022 and 2026, and 2018 marked as a top-scorer year. No title year is marked. Opta Analyst says he joined Müller on 14 in England's round-of-16 match with Mexico at the 2026 World Cup. He scored 6 goals in 2018, 2 in 2022 and 6 in 2026. Two goals against Croatia and 1 in a 2-0 win over Panama in 2026 took him past Gary Lineker's England World Cup total of 10. A brace against DR Congo, with England 1-0 down and 15 minutes left in the round of 32, was followed by a penalty against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca.

Fontaine scored 13 goals in 6 matches at the 1958 World Cup, still the record for one tournament. It was his only World Cup. Opta Analyst says those 13 goals remain the record for a single World Cup and that he scored in every one of his 6 matches in Sweden. Pelé and Helmut Rahn were next on 6 goals that year. Analyst says Fontaine scored 57 percent of France's 23 goals at the tournament. France finished third after losing the semi-final to Brazil, the eventual winners.

Pelé scored 12 World Cup goals in 14 matches and won 3 titles with Brazil, in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He was the youngest final scorer. Wikipedia lists Pelé with 12 goals in 14 matches, a rate of 0.86, in 1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970, with 1958, 1962 and 1970 marked as title years. Analyst says he was the youngest player to score in a World Cup final, against Sweden in 1958 at 17 years and 249 days, and the youngest player to appear in a final. Ten days earlier he had become the youngest World Cup scorer, against Wales at 17 years and 239 days, then the youngest hat-trick scorer, against France on 24 June 1958. Analyst says those age records still stood when its 20 July 2026 article was published.

Kocsis scored 11 World Cup goals in 5 matches for Hungary at the 1954 tournament, the best rate among players on 11 goals. Wikipedia lists Kocsis with 11 goals in 5 matches, a rate of 2.20, all at the 1954 World Cup, which it marks as a top-scorer year. No title year is marked. Opta Analyst says it was his only World Cup and that he scored in every match before the final. Hungary lost that final 3-2 to West Germany after leading 2-0 inside 8 minutes, a match Analyst refers to as the Miracle of Bern.

Klinsmann scored 11 World Cup goals in 17 matches for West Germany and Germany. Germany won the 1990 World Cup, his first tournament. Wikipedia lists Klinsmann with 11 goals in 17 matches, a rate of 0.65, in 1990, 1994 and 1998, with 1990 marked as the title year. Opta Analyst says he scored on his World Cup debut as West Germany beat Yugoslavia 4-1 at Italia 90, then added goals against the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands at that tournament. His highest total at one World Cup was 5 goals in 5 games in 1994, before Germany lost a quarter-final to Bulgaria.