# The 17 Greatest World Cup Goalscorers of All Time

> 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?

*By YPB Team · Published July 19, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-17-greatest-world-cup-goalscorers-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Lionel Messi** — score 1000/1000
   Argentine icon who became World Cup football's all-time top scorer with goals across six tournaments.
2. **Paolo Rossi** — score 728/1000
   Italian striker whose hat-trick against Brazil sparked Italy's 1982 World Cup triumph.
3. **Pelé** — score 710/1000
   Brazilian legend who scored 12 World Cup goals across four tournaments including two titles.
4. **Sándor Kocsis** — score 560/1000
   Hungarian striker nicknamed 'Golden Head' who scored 11 goals at the 1954 World Cup alone.
5. **Teófilo Cubillas** — score 560/1000
   Peruvian playmaker whose dazzling long-range strikes made him a two-tournament World Cup star.
6. **Miroslav Klose** — score 560/1000
   German forward who scored 16 World Cup goals, the previous all-time record holder.
7. **Thomas Müller** — score 485/1000
   German forward whose knack for big moments produced 10 goals across four World Cups.
8. **Grzegorz Lato** — score 485/1000
   Polish winger who won the Golden Boot with 7 goals at the 1974 World Cup.
9. **Neymar** — score 485/1000
   Brazilian forward and one of his generation's most decorated World Cup goalscorers.
10. **Ronaldo Nazário** — score 397/1000
   Brazilian striker whose 15 World Cup goals between 1998 and 2006 stood as the record for years.
11. **Gabriel Batistuta** — score 397/1000
   Argentine striker famed for his ferocious shot and 10 World Cup goals in the 1990s.
12. **Harry Kane** — score 291/1000
   England captain who has become one of the most prolific scorers in World Cup history.
13. **Just Fontaine** — score 162/1000
   French forward who set a single-tournament record with 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup.
14. **Cristiano Ronaldo** — score 162/1000
   Portuguese star and the only player to score in five different World Cups.
15. **Jürgen Klinsmann** — score 162/1000
   German forward whose diving celebrations and clinical finishing produced 11 World Cup goals.
16. **Eusébio** — score 162/1000
   Portuguese legend who top-scored the 1966 World Cup and dragged Portugal to the semifinals.
17. **Gerd Müller** — score 162/1000
   West German striker who netted 14 World Cup goals including the 1974 final winner.

Tags: goals, football, players, world cup, legends