Cristiano Ronaldo sets record for most World Cup tournaments with a goal as Mbappe tops all-time scoring list

With the 2026 World Cup now in the rearview media, the tournament’s historical scoring charts have been rewritten. Spain claimed the trophy for the second time in their history, but the individual milestones belonged to two all-time greats. Kylian Mbappe finished as the highest scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, overtaking Lionel Messi’s 21. The French forward, still only 27, surpassed Messi’s mark during the third-place playoff, a wild 6-4 loss to England. Messi had briefly held the record after opening Argentina’s campaign with a hat-trick and adding braces against Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Egypt. Before Messi, Miroslav Klose held the record at 16 goals, having passed the legendary Ronaldo (15) years earlier. Gerd Müller’s 14 goals stood for three decades before being matched by Harry Kane in 2026. Kane now sits level with Müller on 14 career World Cup strikes. Yet the most remarkable milestone belongs to Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star has scored only 11 World Cup goals, but he has found the net in six different editions — the most of any player. Messi has scored in five tournaments, failing to register in South Africa 2010. Pele and Uwe Seeler both scored in four consecutive tournaments between 1958 and 1970, with Pele’s 12 goals far outpacing Seeler’s nine. Just Fontaine still holds the single-tournament record with 13 goals for France in 1958.