Historic leaders in World Cup goal tally

Lionel Messi has etched his name in the record books as the top goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, thanks to his double strike in Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria on Monday, which propelled him to the summit.

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With this achievement, Messi has overtaken Miroslav Klose, the former German striker, and now boasts an impressive 18 World Cup goals to his name.

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The updated list of World Cup all-time leading scorers reveals a new leader: Lionel Messi of Argentina with 18 goals, followed closely by Miroslav Klose of Germany with 16 goals.

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Rounding out the top five are Ronaldo of Brazil with 15 goals, and two players tied at 14 goals: Gerd Müller of Germany and Kylian Mbappé of France.

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Further down the list are Just Fontaine of France with 13 goals, Pelé of Brazil with 12 goals, and two players tied at 11 goals: Jürgen Klinsmann of Germany and Sándor Kocsis of Hungary.

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The tenth position is shared by Gabriel Batistuta of Argentina and Harry Kane of England, each with 10 goals to their credit.

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Messi's latest record-breaking feat coincided with Argentina's successful bid to secure a spot in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as they maintained their unbeaten start to the tournament with six points from two matches.