Players have scored more than 3,000 goals in the 23 men's FIFA World Cup tournaments, the goal record includes own goals scored, but not counting penalty shoot-outs. Since the first goal, by French player Lucien Laurent in 1930, nearly 1,300 footballers have scored goals at the World Cup tournaments, of whom 111 have scored five or more. +Numbers of goals scored Goals ≥11 10 9 8 7 65 4 3 2 1 TotalNos. of players11 6 11 8 9 27 39 >60 >120 >220 >750>1,250
The top goalscorer of the inaugural competition was Argentina's Guillermo Stábile, with eight goals. Since then, only 28 players have scored more World Cup goals in total than Stábile did during the 1930 tournament. The first to do so was Brazil's Ademir in 1950, with nine goals. This was followed by Hungary's Sándor Kocsis scoring eleven in 1954. At the 1958 tournament, France's Just Fontaine further improved on this record, recording thirteen goals in just six matches. Gerd Müller then scored ten goals for West Germany in 1970, before breaking the overall record when he scored his fourteenth World Cup goal during West Germany's win in the 1974 final. Müller's record stood for more than three decades, until Ronaldo recorded fifteen goals between 1998 and 2006 for Brazil. Germany's Miroslav Klose broke Ronaldo's record with his 16th goal in 2014; his record stood until Argentina's Lionel Messi scored his 17th through 21st goals in 2026. At the same World Cup, France's Kylian Mbappé became the current record holder after scoring his 22nd goal.
Of all the players who have played at the World Cup, only six have achieved an average of two goals or more per match played: Kocsis, Fontaine, Stábile, Russia's Oleg Salenko, Switzerland's Josef Hügi, and Poland's Ernst Wilimowski– the latter of whom scored four in his only ever World Cup match, played in 1938. The top 111 goalscorers have represented 31 nations, with 15 players scoring for both Brazil and Germany or West Germany. In total, 75 footballers came from UEFA (Europe), 31 from CONMEBOL (South America), and only five from elsewhere: Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal from CAF (Africa), Australia from AFC (Asia) (formerly from OFC of Oceania), and the United States from CONCACAF (North/Central America).
Fontaine's thirteen goals in 1958 remains the record for the most scored in a single World Cup tournament. The players that came closest to this tally were Kocsis in 1954 (eleven goals), Müller in 1970 (ten goals), Mbappé in 2026 (ten goals), Brazil's Ademir in 1950 (nine goals) and Portugal's Eusébio in 1966 (nine goals). The top scorers with the fewest goals were from the 1962 tournament, when six players finished joint-top with four goals each. Across the 23 tournaments of the World Cup, 31 footballers have been credited as the tournament top scorer; Mbappé is the only player to achieve this feat twice, in 2022 and 2026. Ten of these players scored at least seven goals in a tournament, while Brazil's Jairzinho in 1970, Argentina's Lionel Messi in 2022 and 2026, and England's Jude Bellingham and Norway's Erling Haaland in 2026 were the only footballers to record at least seven goals but still not finish as the tournament's top scorer. These 31 top goalscorers played for 19 nations, with the most (five) coming from Brazil. Another five came from other South American countries, with the remaining 21 coming from Europe.
Brazil's Leônidas became the first player to score eight goals in knockout matches across his 1934 and 1938 World Cup appearances, a feat that was surpassed by Mbappé in 2026 with a total of twelve (including eight from the previous 2018 and 2022 tournaments). Mbappé became the first player to score four goals in World Cup final matches: he netted one in the 2018 final followed by a hat-trick in the 2022 final. England's Geoff Hurst is the only other player to record a hat-trick in a World Cup final, doing so in 1966.
Overall top goalscorers
+Table keyBold (player) Denotes players still active at international level♦ Denotes national top scorers (or joint top scorers) at the World Cup[ ] Denotes tournaments where the player was part of the squad, but did not play in a match( ) Denotes tournaments where the player played in one or more matches, but did not score a goalBold (year)Denotes tournaments where the player's team won the World CupTDenotes tournaments where the player was top scorer
+Players with at least 5 goals at FIFA World Cup tournamentsRankPlayerTeamGoalsscoredMatchesplayedGoalspermatchTournamentsNotes1 Kylian Mbappé♦ 22222018, 2022T, 2026Tlist 2 Lionel Messi♦ 21342006, (2010), 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 list3 Miroslav Klose♦ 16242002, 2006T, 2010, 2014list4 Ronaldo♦ 1519, 1998, 2002T, 2006list 5 Gerd Müller 14131970T, 1974list Harry Kane♦182018T, 2022, 2026 list7 Just Fontaine1361958Tlist8 Pelé 12141958, 1962, 1966, 1970list 9 Sándor Kocsis♦ 1151954Tlist Jürgen Klinsmann1719901994, 1998list Cristiano Ronaldo♦272006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026list 12 Helmut Rahn 10101954, 1958list Gary Lineker121986T, 1990list Gabriel Batistuta121994, 1998, 2002list Teófilo Cubillas♦131970, 1978, (1982)list Thomas Müller192010T, 2014, (2018), (2022)list Grzegorz Lato♦201974T, 1978, 1982list 18 Ademir 961950T list Eusébio61966Tlist Christian Vieri♦91998, 2002list Vavá101958, 1962T David Villa♦122006, 2010T, 2014list Paolo Rossi♦141978, 1982T, list Neymar152014, 2018, 2022, 2026 list Jairzinho16(1966), 1970, 1974list Roberto Baggio♦161990, 1994, 1998list Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 191978, 1982, 1986list Uwe Seeler 211958, 1962, 1966, 1970 29 Guillermo Stábile 841930Tlist Leônidas51934, 1938Tlist Óscar Míguez♦71950, 1954 Jude Bellingham132022, 2026 list Rivaldo141998, 2002 list Rudi Völler151986, 19901994 list Romelu Lukaku♦182014, 2018, (2022), 2026 list Diego Maradona211982, 1986, (1990), 1994 list 37 Erling Haaland♦ 752026 list Oldřich Nejedlý♦61934T, 1938 Lajos Tichy81958, 1962, list Careca91986, 1990 Johnny Rep♦131974, 1978 Andrzej Szarmach131974, 1978, 1982 Hans Schäfer151954, 1958, (1962) Luis Suárez162010, 2014, 2018, (2022) list Ivan Perišić♦212014, 2018, 2022, 2026 list 46 Josef Hügi♦ 631954 Oleg Salenko♦31994T list György Sárosi51934, 1938 Max Morlock 51954 Erich Probst♦51954 Salvatore Schillaci71990T list Davor Šuker81998T, (2002) list Helmut Haller 9(1962), 1966, (1970) Cody Gakpo92022, 2026 list Hristo Stoichkov♦101994T, (1998) list Diego Forlán102002, 2010T, (2014) list Enner Valencia♦102014, 2022, (2026) list Asamoah Gyan♦112006, 2010, 2014 list Bukayo Saka112022, 2026 list Dennis Bergkamp121994, 1998 list Rob Rensenbrink131974, 1978 James Rodríguez♦132014T, (2018), (2026) list Rivellino151970, 1974, (1978) Bebeto15(1990), 1994, 1998 list Arjen Robben152006, 2010, 2014 list Zbigniew Boniek161978, 1982, (1986) list Thierry Henry171998, (2002), 2006, (2010) list Robin van Persie172006, 2010, 2014 list Wesley Sneijder17(2006), 2010T, 2014 list Mario Kempes18(1974), 1978T, (1982) list Ousmane Dembélé19(2018), (2022), 2026 list Lothar Matthäus25(1982), 1986, 19901994, (1998) list 73 Pedro Cea 541930 list Silvio Piola41938 list Gyula Zsengellér41938 Peter McParland♦51958 list Tomáš Skuhravý51990 Juan Alberto Schiaffino61950, 1954 Geoff Hurst61966, 1970 list Jon Dahl Tomasson♦62002, 2010 list Kai Havertz62022, 2026 list Alessandro Altobelli71982, 1986 Kennet Andersson♦71994 list Fernando Morientes71998, 2002 list Romário8(1990), 1994 list Marc Wilmots8, (1994), 1998, 2002 list Mario Mandžukić82014, 2018 list Mikel Oyarzabal82026 list Valentin Ivanov 91958, 1962T list Emilio Butragueño91986, (1990) list Roger Milla♦9(1982), 1990, 1994 list Tim Cahill♦92006, 2010, 2014, (2018) list Vinícius Júnior92022, 2026 list Hans Krankl101978, 1982 list Raúl111998, 2002, 2006 list Ismaïla Sarr♦11(2018), 2022, 2026 list Garrincha12(1958), 1962T, 1966 Johan Neeskens121974, (1978) Fernando Hierro12, 1994, 1998, 2002 list Zinedine Zidane121998, (2002), 2006 list Landon Donovan♦122002, (2006), 2010 list Xherdan Shaqiri12(2010), 2014, 2018, 2022 list Henrik Larsson♦131994, 2002, 2006 list Zico141978, 1982, (1986) Michel Platini141978, 1982, 1986 list Gonzalo Higuaín142010, 2014, (2018) list Lukas Podolski152006, 2010, (2014) list Julián Alvarez152022, 2026 list Edinson Cavani172010, 2014, 2018, (2022) list Franz Beckenbauer 181966, 1970, (1974) list Olivier Giroud 182014, (2018), 2022list
Timeline Note: FIFA recognizes a total of 10 players as having held the all-time World Cup goalscoring record (including jointly), counting from the end of the inaugural tournament in 1930 onwards. The years shown at the bottom indicate World Cup tournaments, except for 1942 and 1946, years in which no tournament was held.
Key Goal set a new record Goal equalled the existing record
+ Progressive list of footballers that have held the record for most goals scored in FIFA World Cup final tournaments Goals Date Player Team Goal Opponent Score Tournament, stage Previous goals Ref. 1 Lucien Laurent Mexico 4–1 1930, UruguayGroup stage N/A Bart McGhee Belgium 3–0 Marcel Langiller Mexico 4–1 André Maschinot Mexico 4–1 Tom Florie Belgium 3–0 Bert Patenaude Belgium 3–0 Juan Carreño France 1–4 2 André Maschinot Mexico 4–11930 vs Mexico Carlos Vidal Mexico 3–01930 vs Mexico Ivan Bek Bolivia 4–01930 vs Brazil 3 Bert Patenaude Paraguay 3–01930 vs Belgium, Paraguay 4 Guillermo Stábile Chile 3–11930 vs Mexico (3) 5 6 United States 6–1 1930, UruguaySemi-final 7 8 Uruguay2–4 1930, UruguayFinal Leônidas Sweden 4–21938, FranceMatch for third place1934 vs Spain 1938 vs Poland (3), Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovakia, Sweden Ademir Spain 6–1 1950, BrazilFinal round1950 vs Mexico (2), Yugoslavia, Sweden (4) 9 Sándor Kocsis Brazil4–2 1954, SwitzerlandQuarter-final1954 vs South Korea (3), West Germany (4), Brazil 10 Uruguay 4–2 1954, SwitzerlandSemi-final 11 Just Fontaine West Germany 6–3 1958, SwedenMatch for third place1958 vs Paraguay (3), Yugoslavia (2), Scotland,Northern Ireland (2), Brazil, West Germany 12 13 Gerd Müller Poland 1–0 1974, West GermanySecond round1970 vs Morocco, Bulgaria (3), Peru (3), England, Italy (2) 1974 vs Australia, Yugoslavia 14 Netherlands 2–1 1974, West GermanyFinal Ronaldo Japan 4–1 2006, GermanyGroup stage1998 vs Morocco, Chile (2), Netherlands 2002 vs Turkey, China, Costa Rica (2), Belgium, Turkey, Germany (2) 2006 vs Japan 15 Ghana 3–0 2006, GermanyRound of 16 Miroslav Klose Ghana 2–2 2014, BrazilGroup stage2002 vs Saudi Arabia (3), Ireland, Cameroon 2006 vs Costa Rica (2), Ecuador (2), Argentina 2010 vs Australia, England, Argentina (2) 16 Brazil 7–1 2014, BrazilSemi-final Lionel Messi Algeria 3–0 2026, Canada-Mexico-United StatesGroup stage2006 vs Serbia and Montenegro 2014 vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria (2) 2018 vs Nigeria 2022 vs Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Australia, Netherlands, Croatia, France (2) 2026 vs Algeria (2)1722 June 2026 Austria 2–0181927 June 2026Jordan3–1203 July 2026Cape Verde3–2 2026, Canada-Mexico-United StatesRound of 32217 July 2026Egypt3–2 2026, Canada-Mexico-United StatesRound of 16 Kylian Mbappé England4–62026, Canada-Mexico-United StatesMatch for third place2018 vs Peru, Argentina (2), Croatia 2022 vs Australia, Denmark (2), Poland (2), Argentina (3) 2026 vs Senegal (2), Iraq (2), Sweden (2), Paraguay, Morocco22
Top goalscorers for each tournament +KeyDenotes the record for the most goals in a single tournament