Wondering who is the highest goal scorer in the world or the highest goal scorer in international football history?
In this article, we shall be looking at the all-time highest goal scorer in the world, but categorically in the World Cup.
You’ll also see who the player(s) with the most goals in a single world cup is.
The FIFA Russia World Cup 2018 has just ended and the buzz is starting to die down around the sports world and rightly so considering (though FIFA World Cup is the biggest sports event on every scale) that other tournaments such as the leagues and qualifiers for Africa Cup Of Nations and other continental games are now ongoing.
I’m sure you are aware that the FIFA World Cup is the most-watched sports event in the world.
The 2018 World Cup in Russia was the 21st edition of the tournament and Brazil has the record of winning 5 world cups more than any other nation.
Now let’s take a look at all-time leading goal scorers in FIFA World Cup history.
It might interest you to know that Miroslav Klose holds the record for the most goal in World Cup history having scored 16 in 24 world cup games.
He broke the record in the World Cup 2014 up to that time held by Brazil’s Ronaldo who scored 15 goals in 19 world cup games.
Below is the list of all-time world cup top scorers:
SEE ALSO | Real Madrid All-Time Top Scorers – Top 10 Listed
All Time Top Goal Scorers In World Cup History
Rank | Player | Team | Goals | Matches | Tournaments |
1 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 16 | 24 | 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 |
2 | Ronaldo | Brazil | 15 | 19 | [1994], 1998, 2002, 2006 |
3 | Gerd Müller | West Germany | 14 | 13 | 1970, 1974 |
4 | Just Fontaine | France | 13 | 6 | 1958 |
5 | Pelé | Brazil | 12 | 14 | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 |
6 | Sándor Kocsis | Hungary | 11 | 5 | 1954 |
Jürgen Klinsmann | West Germany | 17 | 1990, | ||
Germany | 1994, 1998 | ||||
8 | Helmut Rahn | West Germany | 10 | 10 | 1954, 1958 |
Gary Lineker | England | 12 | 1986, 1990 | ||
Gabriel Batistuta | Argentina | 12 | 1994, 1998, 2002 | ||
Teófilo Cubillas | Peru | 13 | 1970, 1978, (1982) | ||
Thomas Müller | Germany | 16 | 2010, 2014, (2018) | ||
Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 20 | 1974, 1978, 1982 | ||
14 | Eusébio | Portugal | 9 | 6 | 1966 |
Christian Vieri | Italy | 9 | 1998, 2002 | ||
Vavá | Brazil | 10 | 1958, 1962 | ||
David Villa | Spain | 12 | 2006, 2010, 2014 | ||
Paolo Rossi | Italy | 14 | 1978, 1982, [1986] | ||
Jairzinho | Brazil | 16 | (1966), 1970, 1974 | ||
Roberto Baggio | Italy | 16 | 1990, 1994, 1998 | ||
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | West Germany | 19 | 1978, 1982, 1986 | ||
Uwe Seeler | West Germany | 21 | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 | ||
23 | Guillermo Stábile | Argentina | 8 | 4 | 1930 |
Leônidas | Brazil | 5 | 1934, 1938 | ||
Ademir | Brazil | 6 | 1950 | ||
Óscar Míguez | Uruguay | 7 | 1950, 1954 | ||
Rivaldo | Brazil | 14 | 1998, 2002 | ||
Rudi Völler | West Germany | 15 | 1986, 1990, | ||
Germany | 1994 | ||||
Diego Maradona | Argentina | 21 | 1982, 1986, (1990), 1994 | ||
30 | Oldřich Nejedlý | Czechoslovakia | 7 | 6 | 1934, 1938 |
Lajos Tichy | Hungary | 8 | 1958, 1962, [1966] | ||
Careca | Brazil | 9 | 1986, 1990 | ||
Johnny Rep | Netherlands | 13 | 1974, 1978 | ||
Andrzej Szarmach | Poland | 13 | 1974, 1978, 1982 | ||
Luis Suárez | Uruguay | 13 | 2010, 2014, 2018 | ||
Hans Schäfer | West Germany | 15 | 1954, 1958, (1962) | ||
Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 17 | 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 | ||
38 | Josef Hügi | Switzerland | 6 | 3 | 1954 |
Oleg Salenko | Russia | 3 | 1994 | ||
György Sárosi | Hungary | 5 | 1934, 1938 | ||
Max Morlock | West Germany | 5 | 1954 | ||
Erich Probst | Austria | 5 | 1954 | ||
Harry Kane | England | 6 | 2018 | ||
Salvatore Schillaci | Italy | 7 | 1990 | ||
Davor Šuker | Yugoslavia | 8 | [1990], | ||
Croatia | 1998, (2002) | ||||
James Rodríguez | Colombia | 8 | 2014, (2018) | ||
Helmut Haller | West Germany | 9 | (1962), 1966, (1970) | ||
Hristo Stoichkov | Bulgaria | 10 | 1994, (1998) | ||
Diego Forlán | Uruguay | 10 | 2002, 2010, (2014) | ||
Neymar | Brazil | 10 | 2014, 2018 | ||
Asamoah Gyan | Ghana | 11 | 2006, 2010, 2014 | ||
Dennis Bergkamp | Netherlands | 12 | 1994, 1998 | ||
Rob Rensenbrink | Netherlands | 13 | 1974, 1978 | ||
Rivellino | Brazil | 15 | 1970, 1974, (1978) | ||
Bebeto | Brazil | 15 | (1990), 1994, 1998 | ||
Arjen Robben | Netherlands | 15 | 2006, 2010, 2014 | ||
Zbigniew Boniek | Poland | 16 | 1978, 1982, (1986) | ||
Thierry Henry | France | 17 | 1998, (2002), 2006, (2010) | ||
Wesley Sneijder | Netherlands | 17 | (2006), 2010, 2014 | ||
Robin van Persie | Netherlands | 17 | 2006, 2010, 2014 | ||
Mario Kempes | Argentina | 18 | (1974), 1978, (1982) | ||
Lionel Messi# | Argentina | 19 | 2006, (2010), 2014, 2018 | ||
Lothar Matthäus | West Germany | 25 | (1982), 1986, 1990, | ||
Germany | 1994, (1998) | ||||
64 | Pedro Cea | Uruguay | 5 | 4 | 1930 |
Silvio Piola | Italy | 4 | 1938 | ||
Gyula Zsengellér | Hungary | 4 | 1938 | ||
Peter McParland | Northern Ireland | 5 | 1958 | ||
Tomáš Skuhravý | Czechoslovakia | 5 | 1990 | ||
Juan Alberto Schiaffino | Uruguay | 6 | 1950, 1954 | ||
Geoff Hurst | England | 6 | 1966, 1970 | ||
Jon Dahl Tomasson | Denmark | 6 | 2002, 2010 | ||
Alessandro Altobelli | Italy | 7 | 1982, 1986 | ||
Kennet Andersson | Sweden | 7 | 1994 | ||
Fernando Morientes | Spain | 7 | 1998, 2002 | ||
Romário | Brazil | 8 | (1990), 1994 | ||
Marc Wilmots | Belgium | 8 | [1990], (1994), 1998, 2002 | ||
Mario Mandžukić | Croatia | 8 | 2014, 2018 | ||
Valentin Ivanov | Soviet Union | 9 | 1958, 1962 | ||
Emilio Butragueño | Spain | 9 | 1986, (1990) | ||
Roger Milla | Cameroon | 9 | (1982), 1990, 1994 | ||
Tim Cahill | Australia | 9 | 2006, 2010, 2014, (2018) | ||
Hans Krankl | Austria | 10 | 1978, 1982 | ||
Romelu Lukaku | Belgium | 10 | 2014, 2018 | ||
Ivan Perišić | Croatia | 10 | 2014, 2018 | ||
Raúl | Spain | 11 | 1998, 2002, 2006 | ||
Garrincha | Brazil | 12 | (1958), 1962, 1966 | ||
Johan Neeskens | Netherlands | 12 | 1974, (1978) | ||
Fernando Hierro | Spain | 12 | [1990], 1994, 1998, 2002 | ||
Zinedine Zidane | France | 12 | 1998, (2002), 2006 | ||
Landon Donovan | United States | 12 | 2002, (2006), 2010 | ||
Henrik Larsson | Sweden | 13 | 1994, 2002, 2006 | ||
Michel Platini | France | 14 | 1978, 1982, 1986 | ||
Zico | Brazil | 14 | 1978, 1982, (1986) | ||
Gonzalo Higuaín | Argentina | 14 | 2010, 2014, (2018) | ||
Edinson Cavani | Uruguay | 14 | 2010, 2014, 2018 | ||
Lukas Podolski | Germany | 15 | 2006, 2010, (2014) | ||
Franz Beckenbauer | West Germany | 18 | 1966, 1970, (1974) |
SEE ALSO | All Pep Guardiola Trophies Listed Club By Club
This article was most recently revised and updated 9 months ago
