Kylian Mbappé, new king of scorers in World Cup history

The 2026 World Cup will have consecrated Spain on a collective level, but it will also remain like that of Kylian Mbappé’s individual coronation.

With 10 goals during this edition, the French striker reached a historic milestone: he became, at just 27 years old, the top scorer in the history of the World Cup, in all editions combined.

Long disputed between legends of world football, this hierarchy has just been shaken up. Mbappé overtakes Lionel Messi, who closes his world adventure with 21 goals, and also relegates to the rank of memory the records which until then seemed unbreakable – starting with that of Miroslav Klose, long considered the absolute reference with 16 goals.

This performance confirms the exceptional consistency of the Frenchman on the world stage, having scored in each of his three appearances, between decisive goals, doubles and resounding hat-tricks. At an age when many attackers are only just beginning to mature, Mbappé is already establishing himself as the historical reference in the premier event of world football.

Behind this leading duo, the ranking brings together the greatest legends in the history of sport, between pioneers of the 1950s and 1960s and contemporary stars. A hierarchy that crosses generations, from the exploits of Just Fontaine in 1958 to the more recent performances of Harry Kane or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ranking of the best scorers in the history of the World Cup (2026 edition):

Kylian Mbappé (22) Lionel Messi (21) Miroslav Klose (16) Ronaldo (15) Harry Kane (14) Gerd Müller (14) Just Fontaine (13) Pelé (12) Jürgen Klinsmann (11) Sandor Kocsis (11) Cristiano Ronaldo (11)

By CG DIOP