Lionel Messi moved to the top of the World Cup all-time scoring list on Monday night, June 22, 2026, in Argentina’s match against Austria. After missing a penalty, he scored in the 39th minute to reach 17 career World Cup goals and pass Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who had held the record with 16.
Messi had already scored a hat trick in 79 minutes in Argentina’s opening game against Algeria, and his goal against Austria was described as a superb finish after a strong team move. The update made him the new leader in a race that also includes France star Kylian Mbappe.
The article notes that Mbappe, now 28, is playing in his third World Cup and likely has more tournaments ahead, while Messi, 39, is in his sixth and probably final World Cup. Messi is also the all-time leader in World Cup appearances.
The all-time scoring chart now lists Messi first with 17, followed by Klose with 16, Brazil’s Ronaldo with 15, Gerd Muller and Mbappe with 14 each, France’s Just Fontaine with 13, and Brazil’s Pele with 12. Since 1958, only three players have held the record before Messi, Muller in 1974, Ronaldo in 2006, and Klose in 2014. The piece also says Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar each have eight World Cup goals and could move into the top 10 to 15 if they score at least twice in the tournament.
