Here’s a list of the FIFA World Cup Top Scorers’ history and highlights of the most prolific players from all over the football world. As of December 2022, we have updated all the top goal scorers in the FIFA World Cup.
German stars Miroslav Klose & Gerd Muller, Ronaldo & Pele from Brazil, Argentina’s legendary player Lionel Messi, France’s young star Kylian Mbappe, and Just Fontaine are among the many greats to feature have represented many times in the World Cup tournament.
Many star players have set benchmarks in the history of the FIFA World Cup, the biggest men’s international sports event on the planet. Germany National Football Team Miroslav Klose is the top goal scorer in World Cup history with 16 goals in 24 matches.
Argentina’s National Football Team is the current champion of the tournament, having won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where Kylian Mbappé scored 8 goals. Lionel Messi also played a key role in securing this victory for Argentina. Since the inception of the FIFA World Cup, more than 2,700 goals have been scored in final tournaments.
FIFA World Cup Top Scorers
The top scorers of each FIFA World Cup edition hold the FIFA World Cup Top Scorers goals in all tournaments. Many players won the Golden Shoe Award in 1982, which was later rechristened to its current form in 2022.
Here is the list of the top 7 FIFA World Cup Top Scorers Players-
- Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goals (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014)
- Miroslav Klose celebrated his record-breaking 16th World Cup goal, playing 137 games between 2001 and 2014. He is holding the FIFA World Cup Top Scorers.
- Adidas Golden Shoe – 2006 FIFA World Cup
- World Cup Trophy Winner – 2006 FIFA World Cup
2. Ronaldo (Brazil) – 15 goals (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006)
- Ronaldo scored 15 goals from 1998 to 2006. He was one of the best footballers, winning the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times and two Ballon d’Or awards.
- Golden Boot Winners: 2002 FIFA World Cup
3. Gerd Muller (West Germany) – 14 goals (1970, 1974)
- Gerd Muller was a striker who scored 68 goals in 62 appearances for Germany. He was voted 13th in the IFFHS World Player of the Century election, organized by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.
- Golden Boot Winners: 2010 FIFA World Cup
4. Just Fontaine (France) – 13 goals (1958)
- Just Fontaine’s remarkable goal-scoring achievement in 1958 is unparalleled, solidifying his status as a legend in the FIFA World Cup history.
- Golden Boot Winners: 1958 FIFA World Cup
- Goal Record: 13 goals in a single FIFA World Cup
5. Pele (Brazil) – 12 goals (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970)
- Pele became the youngest player to play and score in a World Cup at the age of 17 and became the first Player to Win 3 World Cups.
- The Emergence of a Star: 1958 FIFA World Cup
- World Cup Trophy Winner – 1958 FIFA World Cup, 1962 FIFA World Cup and 1970 FIFA World Cup
6. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 13 goals (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022)
- Lionel Messi‘s World Cup debut at 18 years old, becoming the youngest Argentine player to play in the tournament.
- Golden Ball Winners: 2014 FIFA World Cup, and 2022 FIFA World Cup
7. Kylian Mbappe (France) – 12 goals (2018, 2022)
- Kylian Mbappé has played in two FIFA World Cups and is the 7th highest goal scorer in World Cup history. He represents France in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Winner Squad and the 2022 FIFA World Cup Runner Squad.
- FIFA Best Young Player Award: 2018 World Cup
- Golden Boot Winners: 2022 FIFA World Cup
8. Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) – 11 goals (1954)
9. Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany) – 11 goals (1990, 1994, 1998)
10. Helmut Rahn (Germany) – 10 goals (1954, 1958)
Who has the most Goals in a Single World Cup Tournament?
Just Fontaine (France, 1958) has the most goals in a single World Cup tournament with 13 goals.
Golden Boot Winners
- 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar
- Kylian Mbappe
- 2018 FIFA World Cup, Russia
- Harry Kane
- 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brazil
- James Rodríguez
- 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa
- Thomas Muller
- 2006 FIFA World Cup, Germany
- Miroslav Klose
- 2002 FIFA World Cup, South Korea and Japan
- Ronaldo