If you are looking for the all-time top Fifa World Cup goalscorers, you have come to the right place. From Just Fontaine to Jurgen Klinsmann, view the ultimate list below.
As football fans, whether you support a team in the English Premier League or in the fourth-tier of Italian football, we all have our eyes on the biggest prize, the Fifa World Cup.
Coming around every four years, it is the competition that never fails to cement the best performing players into football, and sporting, folklore.
Although many players have made their way into the World Cup Hall of Fame, there is nothing quite like scoring important goals on the biggest stage when turning the heads of the footballing history gatekeepers.
Here is the essential list of Top 10 All-time Fifa World Cup Goalscorers that have scored consistently throughout their respective Fifa World Cup careers:
10. Thomas Muller (Germany, 10 Goals)
One of the most recent players to make it onto the list, making it even more impressive, Thomas Muller has been well renowned throughout his career for being a big-match player.
Despite being a revelation during his time at Bayern Munich, it is for Germany that he has etched his name into the history books. Currently at a total of 10 goals for Germany during his 3 separate Fifa World Cup stints, 2010 (winning the Golden Boot with 5 goals), 2014 and 2018 (failed to score).
Although it has been well documented that he isn’t in Joachim Löw‘s international plans (as of 2020), there might be a small glimmer of hope that Muller can add to his tally in the future (stranger things have happened, especially this year).
| Year | Round | Score | Opponent | Goals |
| 2010 | Group | 4-0 (W) | Australia | 1 |
| 2010 | RO 16 | 4-1 (W) | England | 2 |
| 2010 | Q Final | 4-0 (W) | Argentina | 1 |
| 2010 | Playoff | 3-2 (W) | Uruguay | 1 |
| 2014 | Group | 4-0 (W) | Portugal | 3 |
| 2014 | Group | 1-0 (W) | U.S.A | 1 |
| 2014 | S Final | 7-1 (W) | Brazil | 1 |
9. Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina, 10 Goals)
Included FIFA 100 list of Greatest Living Players by Pele, Gabriel Batistuta, or Batigol, is widely considered to be an Argentinian legend, who performed on the world stage.
Scoring 54 goals in 77 international appearances, Batistuta managed to bag 10 of them when it really counted.
Unlike some of the other football players on this list, he never managed to win a Fifa World Cup for his nation.
However, it is clear that Gabriel Batistuta, the well-rounded striker, has forever secured his place in international football legend with his elite goal-scoring ability.
| Year | Round | Score | Opponent | Goals |
| 1994 | Group | 4-0 (W) | Greece | 3 |
| 1994 | RO 16 | 3-2 (L) | Romania | 1 |
| 1998 | Group | 1-0 (W) | Japan | 1 |
| 1998 | Group | 5-0 (W) | Jamaica | 3 |
| 1998 | RO 16 | 2-2 (W/P) | England | 1 |
| 2002 | Group | 1-0 (W) | Nigeria | 1 |
8. Gary Lineker (England, 10 Goals)
One of England’s most prolific, and well-known strikers of all-time, Gary Lineker has a stellar record in the big tournaments and important games.
With an international record of 48 goals in 80 games, Lineker always performed when he put on the Three Lions’ kit.
Although the 1990 World Cup was the most memorable from a team perspective, by reaching the Semi Finals, it was in 1986 that he made his mark on history by securing the Golden Boot.
| Year | Round | Score | Opponent | Goals |
| 1986 | Group | 3-0 (W) | Poland | 3 |
| 1986 | RO 16 | 3-0 (W) | Paraguay | 2 |
| 1986 | Q Final | 2-1 (L) | Argentina | 1 |
| 1990 | Group | 1-1 (D) | Ireland | 1 |
| 1990 | Q Final | 3-2 (W) | Cameroon | 2 |
| 1990 | S Final | 1-1 (L/P) | West Germany | 1 |
7. Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany, 11 Goals)
Adding to the growing list of German players in the top 10, Jurgen Klinsmann comes in as the 7th all-time Fifa World Cup goalscorer. One of the most prolific footballers to wear the Germany, and West Germany, kit.
With an international record of 47 goals in 108 games, Klinsmann managed to score 11 of those during 3 seperate Fifa World Cup tournaments (1990,1994 and 1998).
Now plying his trade as a football manager, Klinsmann was in the hot-seat for Germany’s 2006 Fifa World Cup campaign and the United States’ 2014 Fifa World Cup Campaign. Klinsmann‘s connection with the tournament is undeniable.
| Year | Round | Score | Opponent | Goals |
| 1990 | Group | 4-1 (W) | Yugoslavia | 1 |
| 1990 | Group | 5-1 (W) | UAE | 1 |
| 1990 | RO 16 | 2-1 (W) | Netherlands | 1 |
| 1994 | Group | 1-0 (W) | Bolivia | 1 |
| 1994 | Group | 1-1 (D) | Spain | 1 |
| 1994 | Group | 3-2 (W) | South Korea | 2 |
| 1994 | RO 16 | 3-2 (W) | Belgium | 1 |
| 1998 | Group | 2-0 (W) | USA | 1 |
| 1998 | Group | 2-0 (W) | Iran | 1 |
| 1998 | RO 16 | 2-1 (W) | Mexico | 1 |
6. Sandor Kocsis (Hungary, 11 Goals)
Hungary were unstoppable during the 1950s with their Golden Generation, most notably led by Ferenc Puskas. However, it is Sandor Kocsis who stamped his name into the goal scoring records.
Unlike many players on the list, Kocsis scored all of his goals in one tournament. The 1954 World Cup campaign was incredibly fruitful, bearing 11 goals in 4 matches. Hungary’s 9-0 dispatching of South Korea and 8-3 drubbing of West Germany were some of his highlights with 3 and 4 goals respectively.
Unfortunately, despite Kocsis‘ heroics, Hungary suffered a 3-2 loss to West Germany in the 1954 World Cup Final in one of the greatest comebacks the tournament has ever seen.
| Year | Round | Score | Opponent | Goals |
| 1954 | Group | 9-0 (W) | South Korea | 3 |
| 1954 | Group | 8-3 (W) | West Germany | 4 |
| 1954 | Q Final | 4-2 (W) | Brazil | 2 |
| 1954 | S Final | 4-2 (W) | Uruguay | 2 |
5. Pele (Brazil, 12 Goals)
Pele, or Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is arguably the greatest footballer of all-time. Largely considered to be the figurehead of the beautiful game, it was on the biggest stage that Pele always shined.
Scoring 12 goals across 4 tournaments (1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970), he entered himself onto to list of All-time Fifa World Cup Greats.
To further back-up his overall influence on Football history, Pele secured 3 World Cup titles. His first in 1958, second in 1962 and third in 1970.
| Year | Round | Score | Opponent | Goals |
| 1958 | Q Final | 1-0 (W) | Wales | 1 |
| 1958 | S Final | 5-2 (W) | France | 3 |
| 1958 | Final | 5-2 (W) | Sweden | 2 |
| 1962 | Group | 2-0 (W) | Mexico | 1 |
| 1966 | Group | 2-0 (W) | Bulgaria | 1 |
| 1970 | Group | 4-1 (W) | Czechoslovakia | 1 |
| 1970 | Group | 3-2 (W) | Romania | 2 |
| 1970 | Final | 4-1 (W) | Italy | 1 |
4. Just Fontaine (France, 13 Goals)
The only Frenchman to make the list, Just Fontaine is a national team legend that goes under the radar. Competing only in 1958, he is somewhat of a forgotten hero.
Fontaine managed to score 13 goals in just 6 World Cup matches. The most famous of those coming in the 3rd Place Playoff, putting 4 past West Germany.
It is clear that despite his fleeting World Cup career, Just Fontaine‘s remarkable goal tally will be hard to surpass in so few games.
| Year | Round | Score | Opponent | Goals |
| 1958 | Group | 7-3 (W) | Paraguay | 3 |
| 1958 | Group | 3-2 (L) | Yugoslavia | 2 |
| 1958 | Group | 2-1 (W) | Scotland | 1 |
| 1958 | Q Final | 4-0 (W) | N. Ireland | 2 |
| 1958 | S Final | 5-2 (L) | Brazil | 1 |
| 1958 | Playoff | 6-3 (W) | West Germany | 4 |
3. Gerd Muller (West Germany, 14 Goals)
Gerd Muller is one of, if not ‘the’, best German strikers of all-time. Despite being topped by Miroslav Klose in the German international goal tally rankings in 2014, Muller’s record is sensational. Scoring 68 goals in 62 matches for West Germany, such a goal ratio is rare at the highest level.
Up until Ronaldo Nazario surpassed the 14 goal mark in 2006, Gerd Muller had retained the all-time Fifa World Cup goas-scoring record for over three decades (1974-2006). This in itself is astonishing.
By scoring big goals in the important moments, famously netting the winning goal in the 1974 Fifa World Cup Final, Gerd Muller placed himself in footballing history as a truly generational player.
| Year | Round | Score | Opponent | Goals |
| 1970 | Group | 2-1 (W) | Morocco | 1 |
| 1970 | Group | 5-2 (W) | Bulgaria | 3 |
| 1970 | Group | 3-1 (W) | Peru | 3 |
| 1970 | Q Final | 3-2 (W) | England | 1 |
| 1970 | S Final | 4-3 (L) | Italy | 2 |
| 1974 | Group | 3-0 (W) | Australia | 1 |
| 1974 | 2nd Group | 2-0 (W) | Yugoslavia | 1 |
| 1974 | 2nd Group | 1-0 (W) | Poland | 1 |
| 1974 | Final | 2-1 (W) | Netherlands | 1 |
2. Ronaldo Nazario (Brazil, 15 Goals)
Ronaldo, or Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, is an iconic player, a striker of the ages. He was one of the most complete forwards to grace the pitch, with pace, power and unrivalled technical ability.
Being only 20 when he won the 1996 Ballon d’Or, along with two more (1997, 2002) shows how truly special he was.
Excelling at club level, and international level equally, Ronaldo never failed to impress with his World Cup performances. Having won his first World Cup title in U.S.A 1994 in his teens, it was in France and South Korea/Japan where he made history. Winning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards in 1998 and 2002 respectively, it was in 2006 that he brought his overall goal tally to 15, a record that stood until 2014.
The magnitude of Ronaldo‘s influence on critical, high profile matches was for all to see in 2002 when he scored the winning goal in the semi-final against Turkey, and later propelled Brazil to the title with 2 goals in the final versus Germany.
| Year | Round | Score | Opponent | Goals |
| 1998 | Group | 3-0 (W) | Morocco | 1 |
| 1998 | RO 16 | 4-1 (W) | Chile | 2 |
| 1998 | S Final | 1-1 (W/P) | Netherlands | 1 |
| 2002 | Group | 2-1 (W) | Turkey | 1 |
| 2002 | Group | 4-0 (W) | China | 1 |
| 2002 | Group | 5-2 (W) | Costa Rica | 2 |
| 2002 | RO 16 | 2-0 (W) | Belgium | 1 |
| 2002 | S Final | 1-0 (W) | Turkey | 1 |
| 2002 | Final | 2-0 (W) | Germany | 2 |
| 2006 | Group | 4-1 (W) | Japan | 2 |
| 2006 | RO 16 | 3-0 (W) | Ghana | 1 |
1. Miroslav Klose (Germany, 16 Goals)
Congratulations, you have reached the No.1 spot! The current occupier, as of 2020, is Miroslav Klose.
With an outstanding 16 goals across 4 Fifa World Cup tournaments, Klose‘s record is unprecedented. While possessing skill, technique and finishing ability, it is consistency that has been key to his success. To perform time and time again at the highest level across a span of 12 years is prodigious.
A stellar international record, being the all-time leading German goal-scorer with 71 goals in 137 caps, laid the foundation that spring-boarded him to World Cup success.
Coming out triumphant in 2006 and 2014 with a Golden Shoe and World Cup Winners Medal respectively, Klose goes down in history as one of the all-time greats.
Although never scoring in a final, like Ronaldo and Gerd Muller, Klose always attained top-level output when the World Cup came around and was instrumental to Germany’s persistent late-stage runs year on year.
| Year | Round | Score | Opponent | Goals |
| 2002 | Group | 8-0 (W) | Saudi Arabia | 3 |
| 2002 | Group | 1-1 (D) | Ireland | 1 |
| 2002 | Group | 2-0 (W) | Cameroon | 1 |
| 2006 | Group | 4-2 (W) | Costa Rica | 2 |
| 2006 | Group | 3-0 (W) | Ecuador | 2 |
| 2006 | Q Final | 1-1 (W/P) | Argentina | 1 |
| 2010 | Group | 4-0 (W) | Australia | 1 |
| 2010 | RO 16 | 4-1 (W) | England | 1 |
| 2010 | Q Final | 4-0 (W) | Argentina | 2 |
| 2014 | Group | 2-2 (D) | Ghana | 1 |
| 2014 | S Final | 7-1 (W) | Brazil | 1 |
There was the list of the Top 10 All-time Fifa World Cup Goalscorers. As of 2020, Miroslav Klose‘s record looks unbeatable. However, as the current crop of international goalscorers develop, there might be someone else heading the top of the Fifa World Cup Goalscorers table in years to come.
