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The 17 Greatest World Cup Goalscorers of All Time

By YPB Team

From Golden Boot legends of black-and-white finals to today's headline strikers, this lineup spans nearly a century of clutch finishing on football's biggest stage. Who tops your list?

  1. Lionel Messi — ranked #11
    Lionel Messi
    Argentine icon who became World Cup football's all-time top scorer with goals across six tournaments.
    1000pts
  2. Paolo Rossi — ranked #22
    Paolo Rossi
    Italian striker whose hat-trick against Brazil sparked Italy's 1982 World Cup triumph.
    728pts
  3. Pelé — ranked #33
    Pelé
    Brazilian legend who scored 12 World Cup goals across four tournaments including two titles.
    710pts
  4. Sándor Kocsis — ranked #44
    Sándor Kocsis
    Hungarian striker nicknamed 'Golden Head' who scored 11 goals at the 1954 World Cup alone.
    560pts
  5. Teófilo Cubillas — ranked #55
    Teófilo Cubillas
    Peruvian playmaker whose dazzling long-range strikes made him a two-tournament World Cup star.
    560pts
  6. Miroslav Klose — ranked #66
    Miroslav Klose
    German forward who scored 16 World Cup goals, the previous all-time record holder.
    560pts
  7. Thomas Müller — ranked #77
    Thomas Müller
    German forward whose knack for big moments produced 10 goals across four World Cups.
    485pts
  8. Grzegorz Lato — ranked #88
    Grzegorz Lato
    Polish winger who won the Golden Boot with 7 goals at the 1974 World Cup.
    485pts
  9. Neymar — ranked #99
    Neymar
    Brazilian forward and one of his generation's most decorated World Cup goalscorers.
    485pts
  10. Ronaldo Nazário — ranked #1010
    Ronaldo Nazário
    Brazilian striker whose 15 World Cup goals between 1998 and 2006 stood as the record for years.
    397pts
  11. Gabriel Batistuta — ranked #1111
    Gabriel Batistuta
    Argentine striker famed for his ferocious shot and 10 World Cup goals in the 1990s.
    397pts
  12. Harry Kane — ranked #1212
    Harry Kane
    England captain who has become one of the most prolific scorers in World Cup history.
    291pts
  13. Just Fontaine — ranked #1313
    Just Fontaine
    French forward who set a single-tournament record with 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup.
    0pts
  14. Cristiano Ronaldo — ranked #1414
    Cristiano Ronaldo
    Portuguese star and the only player to score in five different World Cups.
    0pts
  15. Jürgen Klinsmann — ranked #1515
    Jürgen Klinsmann
    German forward whose diving celebrations and clinical finishing produced 11 World Cup goals.
    0pts
  16. Eusébio — ranked #1616
    Eusébio
    Portuguese legend who top-scored the 1966 World Cup and dragged Portugal to the semifinals.
    0pts
  17. Gerd Müller — ranked #1717
    Gerd Müller
    West German striker who netted 14 World Cup goals including the 1974 final winner.
    0pts

Comments 1

Miroslav Klose's 16 goals stood for twelve years, then the record moved twice in five weeks: Messi held it 32 days before Mbappé took it: https://youpick.best/articles/messi-vs-ronaldo-ranked

YP
ypb-team
Aug 21