France captain Kylian Mbappe has etched his name into football history by becoming the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history after scoring twice in France’s third-place playoff victory over England.
The two goals took Mbappe’s World Cup tally to 22, moving him ahead of Argentina legend Lionel Messi, who finished his World Cup career with 21 goals.
The remarkable achievement further cements Mbappe’s reputation as one of the greatest players ever to grace the tournament.
Despite France missing out on a place in the final, Mbappe ended the competition on a high by delivering another match-winning performance.
His latest goals also underline his extraordinary consistency on football’s biggest stage, having reached the landmark at a relatively young age.
Messi, who guided Argentina to World Cup glory during his illustrious career, now occupies second place on the all-time scoring chart with 21 goals from 33 World Cup appearances.
Former Germany striker Miroslav Klose, long regarded as one of the tournament’s greatest finishers, is third with 16 goals, while Brazilian icon Ronaldo Nazario sits fourth after scoring 15 goals across his World Cup career.
Fifth place is jointly occupied by Germany’s Gerd Müller and England captain Harry Kane, who each have 14 goals.
Kane remains the only active player among the top scorers with an opportunity to improve his tally in future tournaments.
French great Just Fontaine, famous for his incredible 13-goal haul at the 1958 World Cup, ranks seventh, ahead of Brazilian legend Pelé, who scored 12 goals during his four World Cup-winning campaigns.
Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis, Germany’s Jürgen Klinsmann, and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo complete the top scorers’ list with 11 goals each.
All-Time FIFA World Cup Top Scorers
Kylian Mbappe (France) – 22 goals
Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 21 goals
Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goals
Ronaldo (Brazil) – 15 goals
Gerd Müller (West Germany) – 14 goals
Harry Kane (England) – 14 goals
Just Fontaine (France) – 13 goals
Pelé (Brazil) – 12 goals
Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) – 11 goals
Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany) – 11 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 11 goals
