Lionel Messi reaches 17 goals and equals Miroslav Klose’s historic record in World Cups By Carolina Costa
2 min read
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Lionel Messi has written another chapter in his remarkable World Cup career. The Argentine star, wearing the number 10 shirt, found the net against Austria last Monday (22). This goal, scored during the second round of Group J of the 2026 World Cup, took him to the top of the table of top scorers in the history of the competition.
This new mark takes Messi to a total of 17 World Cup goals, placing him alongside the legendary Miroslav Klose. The German striker, who had held the record since the 2014 tournament, saw his feat equaled by the Argentine star, confirming the longevity and impact of both on world football by breaking a decade of reign.
In a previous match, on Tuesday (16), the world captain had opened his participation in the 2026 World Cup with three goals against Algeria. With this performance, he had already surpassed Pelé, who had accumulated 12 goals and nine assists in 22 World Cup games.
In the same sporting day, Kylian Mbappé also stood out by scoring two goals. His contribution was crucial in France’s victory over Senegal, taking him to a total of 14 goals in World Cups, placing him in the discussion of the main scorers.
See who the biggest scorers in World Cup history are
Follow the list of the top scorers of all time in World Cups:
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 17 goals
- Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goals
- Ronaldo (Brazil) – 15 goals
- Gerd Müller (West Germany) and Kylian Mbappé (France) – 14 goals
- Just Fontaine (France) – 13 goals
- Pelé (Brazil) – 12 goals
- Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) and Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany) – 11 goals
- Gary Lineker (England), Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina), Teófilo Cubillas (Peru) and Thomas Müller (Germany) – 10 goals
