Miroslav Klose — 16 career goals across 4 World Cups (2002–2014)

Miroslav Klose holds the record for the most career World Cup goals, with 16 across four tournaments from 2002 to 2014. He won the 2006 Golden Boot on home soil with 5 goals and later clinched the 2014 title, scoring in Germany's 7-1 semifinal rout of Brazil. His consistency over 24 matches—averaging 0.67 goals per game—outpaces #10 Eusébio's single-tournament peak of 9 goals, yet Klose's longevity exceeds even #11 Lionel Messi's 13 total World Cup goals. No other player has scored more than 16 in their career.