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Messi Breaks World Cup Goal Record!
26 Jun
Summary
- Lionel Messi surpassed Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup goals.
- Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi lead scorers for the second year.
- Only three times has a Golden Boot winner also won the World Cup.
Lionel Messi has set a new record for the most goals in World Cup history, surpassing Miroslav Klose's previous tally of 16. Messi achieved this milestone during the 2026 tournament, needing only two matches to break the record. He tied Klose's record with a hat-trick against Algeria and then broke it against Austria.
As group-stage play concludes in the 2026 World Cup, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are once again among the top scorers, continuing a trend from previous tournaments. Other notable scorers this year include Erling Haaland and Vinicius Jr.
The Golden Boot award, given to the tournament's top scorer, has a rich history. Notably, only three times in the 22 editions of the men's World Cup has the winner of the Golden Boot also been on the championship-winning team. This occurred with Mario Kempes in 1978, Paolo Rossi in 1982, and Ronaldo in 2002.
