FIFA World Cup 2026: The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup (FIFA World Cup 2026) is set to begin on June 11. This time, the tournament is being co-hosted by three nations: Canada, the USA, and Mexico. A total of 48 teams are participating in this edition, and 104 matches will be played between them. It is expected that this will be the final World Cup for both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, although the official list of participating teams has not yet been announced.
Top 5 Goalscorers in the FIFA World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most renowned sports personalities in the world; although he has won numerous major awards in football, he has not yet been able to lead his team to victory in the FIFA World Cup. He will be playing once again this time around, and he hopes to give his absolute all in a final push for the title. Despite having played in five World Cups to date, Ronaldo does not feature in the list of the top five all-time goalscorers—though Lionel Messi's name certainly does appear on that list.
Who is the highest goal-scorer in the FIFA World Cup?
Germany's Miroslav Klose is the highest goal-scorer in the FIFA World Cup; he scored a total of 16 goals across 24 matches played in four World Cups (2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014).
In second place: Ronaldo—
This is not Cristiano Ronaldo, but rather the Brazilian legend Ronaldo, who participated in four World Cups (1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006) and scored 15 goals in 19 matches.
Where does Messi rank?
Lionel Messi has played a total of 26 matches in the FIFA World Cup, in which he has scored 13 goals. Tied with him for fourth place is Just Fontaine, who scored 13 goals in a single edition of the tournament (1958).
Footballers with the Most Goals in the FIFA World Cup:
- 16 - Miroslav Klose (Germany)
- 15 - Ronaldo (Brazil)
- 14 - Gerd Müller (West Germany)
- 13 - Just Fontaine (France), Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- 12 - Pelé (Brazil), Kylian Mbappé (France)
What is Cristiano's rank among the top 5 goalscorers?
Portuguese star player Cristiano Ronaldo has participated in five FIFA World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022). He is the only player to have scored in five different editions of this tournament. With a total of just eight goals, he currently ranks 34th on this list.
