For many footballers, taking part in in a World Cup is the realisation of a lifelong dream.
Scoring a aim on the sport’s biggest stage should be an much more particular feeling and it’s one reserved for a small proportion of gamers.
A few of these are lucky sufficient – or sufficiently gifted – to internet a number of instances on the quadrennial match.
From 1930 to 2022, here’s a take a look at the highest scorers within the males’s World Cup…
34. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo made his World Cup debut in 2006 as Portugal reached the semi-finals in Germany and narrowly misplaced out to France.
In 2022, Ronaldo turned the primary participant within the historical past of males’s soccer to attain in 5 totally different editions of the World Cup. His hat-trick towards Spain in 2018 was an actual spotlight and he has eight targets from 22 video games within the match general. The previous Actual Madrid and Manchester United ahead hasn’t dominated out taking part in in 2026, both…
33. Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona will eternally be related to the World Cup and the Argentina legend led the Albiceleste to 2 finals, successful the match in 1986.
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Maradona scored eight targets in his 4 match appearances and 21 video games general – in 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994 – and was unlucky to not be chosen as a gifted teenager in 1978. He was despatched residence from USA 94 for failing a medication check and by no means performed for Argentina once more.
32. Rudi Völler
Rudi Völler helped West Germany win the World Cup in 1990 and featured within the match thrice, additionally showing in 1986 and 1994.
Völler got here off the bench for the second half of the 1986 closing towards Argentina and scored a late equaliser, just for Jorge Burruchaga to hit the winner for the South People a couple of minutes later in a 3-2 victory. The previous Werder Bremen, Roma and Marseille striker scored eight World Cup targets in 15 appearances general.
31. Rivaldo
Rivaldo solely performed in two World Cups, however the good Brazilian ahead made a huge effect in his match appearances in 1998 and 2002.
The previous Barcelona attacker scored eight targets in his 14 World Cup video games, serving to Brazil to the ultimate towards France in 1998 after which to the trophy in Japan and South Korea 4 years later.
30. Neymar
Neymar was thought of for choice for the 2010 World Cup after his spectacular type at Santos, however finally needed to wait till 2014 to make his debut within the match.
The previous Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain ahead has hit eight targets in 13 World Cup appearances in 2014, 2018 and 2022, however Brazil haven’t gone past the semi-finals in that point.
29. Harry Kane
Harry Kane received the Golden Boot in his first World Cup for England, scoring six instances because the Three Lions reached the semi-finals of Russia 2018.
The previous Tottenham striker added two extra at Qatar 2022, scoring towards Senegal and France within the knockout levels however lacking a second penalty within the quarter-final loss to Les Bleus. He presently has eight targets in 11 appearances.
28. Óscar Míguez
Óscar Míguez performed for Uruguay on the 1950 and 1954 World Cups and scored eight targets in simply seven appearances on the match.
5 of these got here in 1950 as Uruguay shocked hosts Brazil by successful the World Cup. Míguez hit a hat-trick towards Bolivia and two extra in a late turnaround towards Sweden which sealed a spot within the decisive match towards Brazil. He added one other three in 1954, however Uruguay did not qualify for the 1958 match and he retired from worldwide responsibility that 12 months.
27. Leônidas
Leônidas hit seven targets for Brazil on the 1938 World Cup to complete as prime scorer and was additionally heading in the right direction as soon as on the 1934 match, netting eight instances general in simply 5 matches.
With the World Cup cancelled in 1942 and 1946 as a result of Second World Battle, the legendary centre-forward was denied the possibility so as to add to that tally and he retired from Brazil responsibility in 1946.
26. Guillermo Stábile
Guillermo Stábile performed solely 4 matches for Argentina – all of these on the 1930 World Cup – and scored eight targets because the Albiceleste reached the ultimate in Uruguay.
Stábile scored three towards Mexico, put two previous Chile and the US and in addition netted as soon as within the closing as Argentina misplaced 4-2 to the hosts Uruguay to common two targets per recreation. After shifting to Italy that very same 12 months, he by no means performed for Argentina once more.
25. Uwe Seeler
Uwe Seeler performed in 4 World Cups for West Germany – in 1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970 – and the legendary striker scored 9 targets in 21 match appearances.
A finalist in 1966, Seeler by no means did get his fingers on the sport’s biggest prize, with West Germany successful it earlier than his debut in 1954 and after his retirement in 1974.
24. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl Heinz-Rummenigge performed for West Germany in three World Cups – in 1978, 1982 and 1986 – and was captain for the final two of these tournaments.
A two-time finalist, Rummenigge scored 9 targets in 19 appearances general within the World Cup. The previous Bayern Munich and Inter ahead retired from worldwide soccer after the 1986 closing, having scored his final aim for West Germany within the 3-2 defeat to Argentina.
23. Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio is one in every of Italy’s greatest-ever gamers, if not the very best of all of them, and the previous Juventus and Fiorentina ahead ought to have received greater than 56 caps for the Azzurri.
Baggio did play in three World Cups for Italy, although. After bursting onto the scene at worldwide degree with a surprising strike towards Czechoslovakia at Italia 90, he dragged the Azzurri all the best way to the ultimate in 1994 with 5 targets, solely to be remembered for his penalty miss within the shootout loss to Brazil. He returned to attain twice in 1998, together with a penalty towards Chile, and netted 9 World Cup targets in 16 video games general.
22. Jairzinho
Jairzinho made his Brazil debut in 1964 however performed out of place on the left wing on the 1966 World Cup as a result of return of Garrincha on the best.
Struggling to adapt on the other flank, he didn’t rating and made mininal influence as Brazil went out within the group levels. However with Garrincha a fading pressure after that, Jairzinho quickly turned first alternative on the best and scored in each spherical of the 1970 World Cup – together with one within the closing towards Italy – to complete the match with seven targets. He added two extra within the 1974 match, together with a winner towards Argentina as Brazil reached the final 4 with out the now-retired Pelé.
21. Paolo Rossi
Paolo Rossi was banned for 3 years, later diminished to 2, for his alleged involvement within the Totonero betting scandal. He has all the time maintained his innocence.
Rossi return in type on the 1982 World Cup, scoring six targets general after a gradual begin – together with a hat-trick towards Brazil and one within the closing as Italy beat West Germany – to win the Golden Boot. He additionally netted three within the 1978 match, however was unable so as to add to his tally in 1986, when an harm saved him out. General, he hit 9 World Cup targets in 14 appearances.
20. David Villa
David Villa performed 98 instances for Spain between 2005 and 2017 and retired as La Roja’s all-time prime scorer with 59 worldwide targets, 9 of which have been scored at World Cups.
5 of these got here in Spain’s successful marketing campaign in 2010. The previous Valencia, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid striker additionally netted three in 2006 and one in 2014 for 9 targets in 12 World Cup appearances general.
19. Vavá
Vavá performed in two World Cups for Brazil and the Vasco da Gama legend was a winner on each events – in 1958 and 1962.
The Recife-born ahead scored 9 targets in 9 World Cup appearances and was heading in the right direction in two finals – twice in a 5-2 victory over Sweden in 1958 and as soon as in a 3-1 win towards Czechoslovakia in 1962. His 4 targets in Chile additionally earned him a share of the Golden Boot.
18. Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri scored 9 targets for Italy in 9 World Cup appearances in 1998 and 2002 and was unlucky to overlook the Azzurri’s triumph on the 2006 match.
The previous Inter striker scored 5 targets in as many video games in 1998 and 4 in 4 in 2002. He suffered an harm within the lead-up to the 2006 World Cup, missed Italy’s win in Germany and by no means performed for his nation once more.
17. Eusébio
Eusébio was born in Mozambique, which was Portuguese territory on the time, and represented Portugal for 12 years between 1961 and 1973.
The legendary Benfica ahead solely performed in a single World Cup, however made his mark with 9 targets in six matches – together with 4 in an incredible comeback win towards North Korea from 3-0 down – as Portugal completed third on the 1966 match in England.
16. Ademir
Ademir scored 9 targets for Brazil on the 1950 World Cup and completed because the match’s prime scorer, however couldn’t stop the nation’s shock defeat to Uruguay on residence soil within the decisive closing match.
Scorer of the primary aggressive aim on the Maracanã, Ademir led Brazil to the South American Championship in 1949 and hit his 9 World Cup targets in simply six matches. He by no means performed within the match once more, successful his closing cap in 1953.
15. Grzegorz Lato
Grzegorz Lato led Poland to Olympic gold in 1972 and was instrumental in third-place finishes for the White-Reds in each the 1974 and 1982 World Cups.
Lato scored the winner towards Brazil within the third-place match in 1974 and the winger netted 10 targets in 20 World Cup appearances general throughout three tournaments.
14. Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller racked up 10 World Cup targets for Germany in two tournaments – in 2010 and 2014 – and was a winner within the second of these.
Müller additionally performed within the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, however was not in a position so as to add to his tally as Germany went out within the group levels on each events.
13. Teófilo Cubillas
Peru’s Teófilo Cubillas performed in three World Cups and scored all of his 10 targets in two of these – in 1970 and 1978.
Extensively thought of Peru’s best-ever participant, Cubillas led the South People to the quarter-finals in each editions. In 1982, he didn’t rating as Peru went out within the group levels. And in 1974, the Bicolor didn’t qualify.
12. Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta was Argentina’s prime scorer at World Cups with 10 targets till he was overtaken by the nice Lionel Messi in 2022.
Batistuta’s 10 World Cup targets got here in three tournaments – 1994, 1998 and 2002 – however the former Fiorentina ahead by no means made it past the quarter-finals with Argentina.
11. Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker solely performed in two World Cups for England, however the former Leicester Metropolis, Tottenham and Barcelona striker scored 10 targets within the match.
Lineker hit six, together with a hat-trick towards Poland, to win the Golden Boot in 1986 and added 4 extra as England reached the semi-finals in 1990. His 10 World Cup targets got here in simply 12 appearances.
10. Helmut Rahn
Helmut Rahn performed for West Germany between 1951 and 1960 and scored 21 worldwide targets in 40 appearances.
Rahn scored two targets within the 1954 World Cup closing towards Hungary, together with the winner, in a match sometimes called the Miracle of Bern. He helped West Germany attain the semi-finals in 1958 and completed his profession with 10 World Cup targets in as many appearances.
9. Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann performed in three World Cups and was a winner for West Germany in 1990, serving to Franz Beckenbauer’s aspect to the trophy with victory over Argentina within the closing.
Klinsmann went on to play for Germany within the 1994 and 1998 tournaments, with the previous Bayern Munich and Tottenham striker heading in the right direction 11 instances in whole in 17 World Cup appearances.
8. Sándor Kocsis
Sándor Kocsis scored 11 World Cup targets for Hungary and all of these got here within the 1954 match because the Mighty Magyars reached the ultimate.
Kocsis hit a hat-trick towards South Korea, 4 in an 8-3 thrashing of West Germany, two versus Brazil and two extra in a semi-final victory over Uruguay. Hungary went on to lose the ultimate 3-2 to West Germany, with Kocsis unable to transform within the greatest recreation of all of them.
7. Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé has scored 12 targets in his 14 World Cup appearances and has already performed in two finals, main Les Bleus to victory towards Croatia as a 19-year-old in 2018 and narrowly shedding out to Argentina on penalties in 2022 – regardless of hitting a hat-trick in that match.
WIth a minimal of two World Cups nonetheless more likely to be forward of him, Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time prime scorer has loads of time left to obliterate the match’s targets information within the years to return.
6. Pelé
Pelé performed in 4 World Cups for Brazil and received the match thrice in a document which can by no means be damaged.
The legendary Santos ahead starred as a 17-year-old in 1958 and went on to win it once more in 1962 and 1970. General, he netted 12 targets in 14 World Cup appearances.
5. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi performed in 5 World Cups for Argentina and received the match on the fifth time of asking as he led the Albiceleste to glory at Qatar 2022.
Additionally a finalist in 2014, Messi has received the Golden Ball for the match’s finest participant on two events and completed his World Cup profession with 13 targets in 26 appearances. Except, that’s, he modifies his thoughts about taking part in in 2026…
4. Simply Fontaine
Simply Fontaine netted all of his 13 World Cup targets in only one version of the match, successful the Golden Boot in 1958.
The legendary France ahead scored in each match, averaging over two targets per recreation as Les Bleus completed third in Sweden. No participant has come near matching that tally since.
3. Gerd Müller
Gerd Müller scored 14 targets for West Germany on the World Cup, however what makes that quantity much more spectacular is the truth that he did it in simply 13 appearances.
Müller performed in simply two editions of the match, in 1970 and 1974, scoring 10 targets within the first of these and 4 within the second – together with the winner towards the Netherlands within the 1974 closing. His 14 targets on the match stood as a World Cup document for over 30 years.
2. Ronaldo
Ronaldo went to 4 World Cups with Brazil, performed in three of these tournaments and received it twice. He scored 15 targets general.
The good Brazilian was an unused participant in 1994 as a 17-year-old, however was one of many workforce’s star gamers in every of the following three editions and went on to internet 15 targets within the match, prime scoring with eight because the South People received the trophy for a fifth time in 2002.
1. Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose performed for Germany in 4 World Cups and signed off by serving to his nation win the trophy at Brazil 2014.
Klose received the Silver Boot in 2002 and the Golden Boot in 2006. He went on to attain a document 16 World Cup targets in 24 appearances, overtaking compatriot Gerd Müller and Brazil legend Ronaldo to complete his profession because the match’s all-time prime scorer.
