Kylian Mbappé Overtakes Lionel Messi as World Cup's All-Time Top Scorer
Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi engaged in a high-stakes race for the World Cup's all-time top scorer record during the 2026 tournament. SPOX takes a look at the updated rankings.
On July 8, 2014, a historic moment in German football unfolded, not just because of the German national team's dominant 7-1 victory in the semi-finals of the World Cup in Brazil.
It was in this very match that Miroslav Klose claimed the title of the World Cup's all-time leading scorer. His 23rd-minute goal, making it 2-0, was his 16th tournament goal, propelling him past Brazilian icon Ronaldo to the sole top spot.
Over a decade later, how does the top of this leaderboard look? SPOX clarifies.
World Cup All-Time Top Scorer: How Many Goals Ahead is Kylian Mbappé of Lionel Messi?
Is Klose's record under threat? No, because it has since been surpassed. Lionel Messi initially set a new benchmark in the 2026 World Cup, reaching a total of 21 tournament goals. However, with his brace in the third-place playoff, Kylian Mbappé moved ahead of the Argentine superstar, now with a total of 22 goals.
The Real Madrid superstar managed to secure seventh place with just two World Cup appearances. He reached the final in both tournaments with France, winning it once (2018) and losing it once (2022). Mbappé scored four goals in Russia in 2018 and an impressive eight goals in Qatar in 2022. In the lost final against Argentina, he scored a hat-trick – remarkable, as only England's Geoff Hurst had achieved this in a World Cup final before, in 1966.
Before the tournament in North America, the French captain trailed Klose by four goals. He narrowed the gap to two goals with a brace against Senegal in the opening match. He then drew level with another double against Iraq, jumping to second place. He also scored in the Round of 16 against Paraguay and the quarter-finals against Morocco. Finally, he added two more goals against England. These were his ninth and tenth goals of this World Cup, making him the tournament's top scorer for the second consecutive time.
Messi couldn't even draw level in the 0-1 lost final against Spain, meaning the Frenchman is likely to remain the new number one on the list for an extended period. Unlike Messi, Mbappé has at least one more World Cup in his sights, provided he is nominated and remains healthy. His former Paris Saint-Germain teammate is now 39 years old. Mbappé, on the other hand, is 27, turning 28 in December.
World Cup All-Time Top Scorer: How Many Goals Ahead is Kylian Mbappé of Lionel Messi? The World Cup Top Scorers Ranking
World Cup Record Scorers: The Top 10
| Rank | Name | Goals | Nation |
| 1 | Kylian Mbappé | 22 | France |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | 21 | Argentina |
| 3 | Miroslav Klose | 16 | Germany |
| 4 | Ronaldo | 15 | Brazil |
| 5 | Gerd Müller | 14 | Germany |
| 6 | Harry Kane | 14 | England |
| 7 | Just Fontaine | 13 | France |
| 8 | Pelé | 13 | Brazil |
| 9 | Jürgen Klinsmann | 11 | Germany |
| 10 | Sándor Kocsis | 11 | Hungary |
World Cup All-Time Top Scorer: How Many Goals Ahead is Kylian Mbappé of Lionel Messi? France's Matches
| Date | Match | Venue |
| Tuesday, June 16, 9 PM | France 3:1 Senegal | East Rutherford (USA) |
| Monday, June 22, 11 PM | France 3:0 Iraq | Philadelphia (USA) |
| Friday, June 26, 9 PM | Norway 1:4 France | Foxborough (USA) |
| Tuesday, June 30, 11 PM | France 3:0 Sweden | East Rutherford (USA) |
| Saturday, July 4, 11 PM | Paraguay 0:1 France | Philadelphia (USA) |
| Thursday, July 9, 10 PM | France 2:0 Morocco | Foxborough (USA) |
| Tuesday, July 14, 9 PM | France 0:2 Spain | Dallas (USA) |
| Saturday, July 19, 11 PM | France 4:6 England | Miami (USA) |
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