Messi Extends Historic World Cup Scoring Lead Over Mbappe with Three Goals

At the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi has widened his lead as the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, surpassing Kylian Mbappe by three goals. Messi, who entered the match against Austria as a substitute in the second half, scored a beautiful free kick, bringing his total World Cup goals to 19. This puts him ahead of Mbappe and Germany's Miroslav Klose, who both have 16 goals.

The current top scorers in World Cup history are led by Messi (Argentina) with 19 goals, followed by Klose (Germany) and Mbappe (France) tied at 16, then Brazil's Ronaldo with 15. Other notable scorers include Gerd Muller (West Germany) with 14 and Just Fontaine (France) with 13. Among active players, England's Harry Kane has 11 World Cup goals, while Cristiano Ronaldo has 10.

Messi, 39, is playing in his sixth and likely final World Cup, having already scored five goals in the 2026 tournament held in the United States. Mbappe, 28, has scored three goals in this tournament and has the advantage of potentially playing in future World Cups, as this is only his third appearance. The competition between these two stars for the World Cup scoring crown is rare, with only three players having held the record since 1958.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar are the closest active players to entering the top 10-15 all-time scorers, each with eight goals. If they score at least twice in this tournament, they could climb higher in the rankings. The 2026 World Cup continues to break records and showcase historic achievements in football.