Lionel Messi officially cemented his status as the greatest big-stage scorer in football as he became the top scorer in FIFA World Cup history with an impressive goal against Austria in Argentina’s second Group J match on Monday.
With a clinical 38th-minute strike against Austria in a high-stakes FIFA World Cup 2026 clash, the 38-year-old maestro netted his 17th career World Cup goal, breaking Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record of 16 goals.
The milestone arrives just two days before Messi celebrates his 39th birthday, proving that his era-defining brilliance shows no signs of waning.
Top 10 goal scorers in FIFA World Cup history:
1. Lionel Messi (Argentina)
World Cups: Six – 2006 (one goal), 2010 (no goals), 2014 (four goals), 2018 (one goal), 2022 (seven goals), 2026 (four goals to date)
2. Miroslav Klose (Germany)
World Cups: Four – 2002 (five goals), 2006 (five goals), 2010 (four goals), 2014 (two goals)
Matches played: 24
Goals: 15
World Cups: Four – 1994 (no goals), 1998 (four goals), 2002 (eight goals), 2006 (three goals)
Matches played: 19
4. Gerd Muller (West Germany)
Goals: 14
World Cups: Two – 1970 (10 goals), 1974 (four goals)
Matches played: 13
5. Kylian Mbappe (France)
Goals: 14
World Cups: Three – 2018 (four goals), 2022 (eight goals), 2026 (two goals to date)
Matches played: 15
6. Just Fontaine (France)
Goals: 13
World Cups: One – 1958
Matches played: Six
Goals: 12
World Cups: Four – 1958 (six goals), 1962 (one goal), 1966 (one goal), 1970 (four goals)
Matches played: 14
8. Jurgen Klinsmann (West Germany/Germany)
Goals: 11
World Cups: Three – 1990 (three goals), 1994 (five goals), 1998 (three goals)
Matches played: 17
9. Sandor Kocsis (Hungary)
Goals: 11
World Cups: One – 1954
Matches played: Five
10. Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina)
World Cups: Three – 1994 (four goals), 1998 (five goals), 2002 (one goal)
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