Lionel Messi Becomes All-Time World Cup Top Scorer with 19 Goals

Lionel Messi has become the all-time leading goal scorer in World Cup history, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose by scoring twice to reach 19 goals. This milestone was achieved during the 2026 World Cup, where Messi's Argentina is still competing, with an upcoming match against Cape Verde in the round of 32. French star Kylian Mbappe currently holds second place with 17 World Cup goals after scoring against Sweden, while Klose now ranks third with 16 goals.

The top World Cup goal scorers list is led by Messi (19), followed by Mbappe (17), Klose (16), Brazil's Ronaldo (15), West Germany's Gerd Muller (14), France's Just Fontaine (13), and Brazil's Pele (12). Among active players, England's Harry Kane has 10 goals, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar each have 8.

Messi, aged 39 and appearing in his sixth World Cup, is likely playing his final tournament, whereas 28-year-old Mbappe is in his third World Cup and expected to continue competing at this level. The 2026 tournament is notable for featuring two players simultaneously contending for the all-time World Cup scoring record, a rare occurrence since Just Fontaine led the chart in 1958. Historically, only three players have claimed the top scorer title since then: Muller in 1974, Ronaldo in 2006, and Klose in 2014.

Messi's current tally of six goals in the 2026 tournament has helped him overtake legends like Ronaldo, Muller, and Klose on the all-time list, while Mbappe has scored five goals so far in this World Cup. The ongoing competition between these two stars adds a compelling narrative to the 2026 World Cup.