Eusébio — 9 goals, Portugal 1966

Eusébio's 9 goals at the 1966 World Cup remain the highest single-tournament total by any European player, powering Portugal to a third-place finish. His four-goal comeback from 3-0 down against North Korea in the quarterfinal ranks among the tournament's greatest individual performances. That tally is 4 more than #12 Thomas Müller's 5 in 2010, though his 0.75 goals-per-game rate trails #11 Lionel Messi's 0.78 in 2022. Eusébio's ferocious shot and pace defined an era, but his 9 goals place him 7 behind career leader Miroslav Klose.