W<\/span>With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just around the corner, it’s hard not to remember some of the players who left their mark on the tournament’s history with iconic and memorable goals. <\/p>\nWith less than 90 days left until the ball starts moving again and every goal is celebrated, let’s take a look back at the top scorers in World Cup history. <\/p>\n
Player who has scored the most goals in the World Cup<\/h2>\n
Almost a century after its first run in 1930, the tournament has scored more than 2,000 goals in all games played (2,720 goals in 964 games, according to Yahoo Sports). <\/p>\n
However, football fans and the players themselves know that just one goal can change everything, and the person responsible for scoring that goal was Miroslav Klose in the German uniform. The forward has scored 16 goals in 24 games, putting him at the top of the all-time scoring list. He scored five goals in both 2002 and 2006, four more in 2010, and two more in 2014, when he won the tournament.<\/p>\n
Behind the German forward is Ronaldo Nazrio, one of the great symbols of Brazilian football, who has scored 15 goals. Although he did not play in the 1994 World Cup, he scored four goals in 1998, eight in 2002, and three more in 2006.<\/p>\n
Rounding out the top three is another legendary German striker, Gerd Muller, with 14 goals in just 13 games, one of the highest scoring averages in the competition’s history. <\/p>\n
Behind them are two players who each scored 13 goals. France’s Juste Fontaine, who achieved this goal only in the 1958 World Cup, and Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi, who has appeared in five World Cups but can still increase his goal tally. Leo scored one goal in 2006, four in 2014, another in 2018 and seven in the last World Cup in 2022, when they won the World Cup.<\/p>\n
Finally, another young French player joins the list and aims to make history, Kylian Mbapp. The 27-year-old has already played in two tournaments and was crowned world champion in 2018, scoring 12 goals, level with the legendary ‘Olay’ Pel.<\/p>\n
The history of the World Cup shows that goals are the tournament’s universal language. And while new stars prepare to shine, the names of Miroslav Klose, Ronaldo Nazrio and their ilk continue to set the standard for greatness on soccer’s biggest stage.<\/p>\n
World Cup all-time top scorer<\/h2>\n
Miroslav Klose, Germany: 16 goals, 24 games, 4 World Cup appearances. Ronaldo Nazrio, Brazil: 15 goals, 19 games, 4 World Cup appearances. Gerd Muller, West Germany: 14 goals, 13 games, 2 World Cups. Juste Fontaine, France: 13 goals, 6 games, 1 World Cup. Lionel Messi, Argentina: 13 goals, 26 games, 5 World Cups. Kylian Mbapp, France: 12 goals, 14 games, 2 World Cups. Pell, Brazil: 12 goals, 14 games, 4 World Cups.<\/p><\/div>\n
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