2 min readJun 22, 2026 09:58 PM ISTLionel Messi in action. (FILE photo)Arguably the greatest footballer of his generation, and one of the finest to ever grace the pitch, Argentinian legend Lionel Messi now stands just one goal away from becoming the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history.Messi opened Argentina’s 2026 World Cup campaign with a historic hat-trick against Algeria, drawing him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the joint-top scorer in tournament history. Both icons now have 16 World Cup goals to their name, one ahead of legendary Brazilian Ronaldo, who sits third on the all-time list with 15 goals.Already holding the record for the most goal contributions in World Cup history (24), with 16 goals and 8 assists, Messi will claim the outright record if he finds the net in Argentina’s Group J clash against Austria in Dallas on Monday.Another generational talent, France’s Kylian Mbappé, is closing in fast. In just his third World Cup, the French superstar has already netted 14 goals. He opened his 2026 account with a brace in France’s 3–1 victory over Senegal and now sits only three goals shy of the record.Mbappé is currently tied with another German great, Gerd Müller, who also scored 14 goals. Müller, who recorded the third-highest goal tally in a single World Cup edition, averaged an impressive 1.08 goals per game. The best goals-per-game ratio, however, belongs to Frenchman Just Fontaine, who scored a remarkable 13 goals in a single tournament.Should Argentina overcome Austria, Messi will also become the most successful player in World Cup history in terms of match wins. With 16 victories to his name, he is currently level with Klose, who achieved the feat in 24 appearances for Germany.RankPlayerTeamGoalsscoredMatchesplayedGoalspermatchTournaments1Miroslav KloseGermany16240.672002, 2006, 2010, 20142Lionel MessiArgentina16270.592006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 20263RonaldoBrazil15190.791994, 1998, 2002, 20064Gerd MüllerWest Germany14131.081970, 19745Kylian MbappéFrance14150.932018, 2022, 20266Just FontaineFrance1362.1719587PeléBrazil12140.861958, 1962, 1966, 19708Sándor KocsisHungary1152.219549Jürgen KlinsmannWest GermanyGermany11170.6519901994, 199810Helmut RahnWest Germany101011954, 195811Gary LinekerEngland10120.831986, 199012Gabriel BatistutaArgentina10120.831994, 1998, 200213Harry KaneEngland10120.832018, 2022, 202614Teófilo CubillasPeru10130.771970, 1978, 198215Thomas MüllerGermany10190.532010, 2014, 2018, 202216Grzegorz LatoPoland10200.51974, 1978, 1982© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd Tags:FIFAAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Advertisement