Argentina captain Lionel Messi has equalled the all-time men’s FIFA World Cup scoring record, reaching a career total of 16 goals in the competition. The veteran forward secured this landmark achievement by netting a hat-trick during Argentina’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Algeria, held in Kansas City. Following this performance, Messi now shares the status of the tournament’s joint-highest goalscorer alongside Germany’s Miroslav Klose.

Progression to the Benchmark

Prior to the commencement of the 2026 tournament, Lionel Messi possessed a career tally of 13 World Cup goals. His three-goal contribution in Argentina’s 3-0 victory against Algeria increased his total to 16. By registering his 16th goal, the Argentine attacker surpassed the career record of former Brazilian striker Ronaldo Nazário and drew level with Klose at the top of the historical leaderboard.

This performance also widened the gap between Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappé, who remains his closest active challenger. Mbappé currently occupies the position immediately below Messi on the all-time list, having accumulated 14 career tournament goals.

Historical Context of the Record

The record for the highest number of goals scored in the men’s tournament has transitioned through several generations of international football. Miroslav Klose established the outright record during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, surpassing the previous benchmark of 15 goals set by Ronaldo Nazário. Before Ronaldo’s era, West Germany’s Gerd Müller and France’s Just Fontaine had held the highest positions in the rankings. Fontaine retains the unique distinction of scoring all 13 of his career World Cup goals within a single tournament edition, achieved in 1958.

Match-by-Match Breakdown for the Joint Record Holders

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina) — 16 Goals

Messi achieved his tally across five different tournament editions between 2006 and 2026:

• 2006 (Germany): 1 goal

  • Group Stage: 1 goal vs Serbia and Montenegro

• 2010 (South Africa): 0 goals

• 2014 (Brazil): 4 goals

  • Group Stage: 1 goal vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1 goal vs Iran, 2 goals vs Nigeria

• 2018 (Russia): 1 goal

  • Group Stage: 1 goal vs Nigeria

• 2022 (Qatar): 7 goals

  • Group Stage: 1 goal vs Saudi Arabia, 1 goal vs Mexico

  • Round of 16: 1 goal vs Australia

  • Quarter-final: 1 goal vs Netherlands

  • Semi-final: 1 goal vs Croatia

  • Final: 2 goals vs France

• 2026 (USA/Canada/Mexico): 3 goals

  • Group Stage: 3 goals vs Algeria (Kansas City)

2. Miroslav Klose (Germany) — 16 Goals

Klose accumulated his record-setting total across four consecutive tournaments between 2002 and 2014:

• 2002 (South Korea/Japan): 5 goals

  • Group Stage: 3 goals vs Saudi Arabia, 1 goal vs Republic of Ireland, 1 goal vs Cameroon

• 2006 (Germany): 5 goals

  • Group Stage: 2 goals vs Costa Rica, 2 goals vs Ecuador

  • Quarter-final: 1 goal vs Argentina

• 2010 (South Africa): 4 goals

  • Group Stage: 1 goal vs Australia

  • Round of 16: 1 goal vs England

  • Quarter-final: 2 goals vs Argentina

• 2014 (Brazil): 2 goals

  • Group Stage: 1 goal vs Ghana

  • Semi-final: 1 goal vs Brazil

All-Time Leading Men’s World Cup Scorers