The FIFA World Cup is the biggest competition in sport.
Every four years, the best footballers on the planet gather to try and guide their nation to glory.
The World Cup turns great players into legends, and one goal can completely change the trajectory of a career.
But due to the elevated levels of pressure, goals are certainly not easy to come by on this stage.
However, there are some who have thrived under the lights of World Cup football and excelled across multiple tournaments.
Below, NetBet Sport takes a look at the leading scorers in World Cup history.
Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goals
The current record holder is Germany icon Klose. The ex-Bayern Munich striker scored five goals in seven games at the 2002 and 2006 tournaments, before striking four times from five outings in 2010. Klose scored two goals during Germany’s victorious 2014 campaign, his finish in the 7-1 thrashing of Brazil in the semi-finals seeing him claim the record outright.
Ronaldo Nazario (Brazil) – 15 goals
One of the greatest strikers to have played the game, 2002 was Ronaldo’s most prolific tournament. He scored eight goals to help steer Brazil to victory, two of the strikes coming in the 2-0 final victory over Germany. Ronaldo scored four times in 1998, and added three more to his tally in 2006.
Gerd Muller (West Germany) – 14 goals
Muller only played at two World Cups, but still takes third spot on this list. The legendary centre forward scored 10 goals in six games at the 1970 tournament, before playing a key role in West Germany’s 1974 triumph. Muller netted the crucial second goal in the 2-1 final victory over Netherlands.
Just Fontaine (France) – 13 goals
Fontaine is something of an anomaly here, as he is the one player on the list who did not excel across multiple tournaments. Instead, all 13 of his goals for France came in the 1958 World Cup, which is still the record for a single tournament. Amazingly, Les Bleus did not even reach the final!
Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 13 goals
In his first 19 World Cup appearances, Messi scored just six goals – but he then exploded into life at the 2022 tournament. The Barcelona icon netted seven times in seven appearances to inspire Argentina’s third World Cup win. Messi’s performances in Qatar also saw him claim a unique record – as he is the only player to score in every knockout round at a single tournament.
Pele (Brazil) – 12 goals
A three-time World Cup winner and a bona-fide football legend, Pele made the tournament his playground with Brazil between 1958 and 1970. He scored six goals from just four appearances in 1958, with injuries then interrupting his 1962 and 1966 campaigns somewhat. But Pele came roaring back in 1970, netting four goals in six appearances as Brazil lifted the trophy again.
Kylian Mbappe (France) – 12 goals
Mbappe is widely tipped to break Klose’s record. At the age of 27, the France star could play at three more World Cups – including the 2026 tournament. Mbappe played a leading role in Les Bleus’ 2018 victory, even scoring in the 4-2 final win over Croatia. He then won the Golden Boot in 2022 with eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final defeat to Argentina. Not bad, Kylian.
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