Every FIFA World Cup creates new heroes, unforgettable moments and legendary goal scorers. Over the past century, football icons such as Miroslav Klose, Ronaldo Nazário, Gerd Müller, Pelé and Lionel Messi have dominated the tournament’s scoring charts.
Now, another superstar is rewriting history, France forward Kylian Mbappe. He is rapidly climbing the list of FIFA World Cup all-time top scorers, and at just the age of 27, he has already established himself as one of the greatest players the tournament has ever seen.
After scoring five goals in his first four matches of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, the Real Madrid talisman has reached 18 career World Cup goals, overtaking Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16) to move into second place on the all-time scoring list.
Only one man now stands ahead of him—Lionel Messi, who holds the all-time World Cup scoring record with 19 goals.
FIFA World Cup all-time top scorers
1 Argentina’s Lionel Messi 19 2006–2026
2 France’s Kylian Mbappe 18 2018–2026
3 Germany’s Miroslav Klose 16 2002–2014
4 Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazário 15 1994–2006
5 Germany’s Gerd Müller 14 1970–1974
6 France’s Just Fontaine 13 1958
7 Brazil’s Pelé 12 1958–1970
Extraordinary Mbappe
Few players in football history have performed so consistently on the biggest stage, and Mbappe is one of them. He announced himself to the world during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, helping France lift the trophy while scoring four goals.
He then elevated his game to another level at Qatar 2022, where he finished as the tournament’s Golden Boot winner with eight goals, including a memorable hat-trick in the World Cup Final against Argentina.
Another Mbappe record 📋#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/egKwF0oyfv
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 16, 2026
Now, at the FIFA World Cup 2026, the French captain has continued his remarkable scoring form.
In just four matches, Mbappe has already scored five goals, taking his overall World Cup tally to 18 goals.
His consistency across three consecutive tournaments underscores why Mbappe is widely regarded as one of football’s greatest big-game players, or one of the best to ever do it at the FIFA World Cup.
Leaving legends in the rear view
Mbappe’s rise has been astonishing considering the company he now keeps.
He has already moved ahead of: Miroslav Klose (16 goals), Ronaldo Nazário (15), Gerd Müller (14), Just Fontaine (13), Pelé (12) and others.
Most of these legends required three or four World Cups to build their records, apart from his fellow countryman Fontaine, who scored all of his 13 goals in the 1958 edition.
Mbappe, meanwhile, has reached 18 goals while still in his twenties.
Just for a comparison, Messi, who leads the scoring chart, is playing his sixth tournament and has 19 World Cup goals.
Klose’s record stood for years as the benchmark for World Cup goalscorers before Mbappe finally overtook him during the 2026 tournament.
Why Mbappe could own every major scoring record
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Mbappe’s achievements is his age. At just 27 years old, he is entering what is traditionally considered the peak years of a footballer’s career. If France continue progressing deep into the 2026 tournament, Mbappe could become the outright all-time World Cup top scorer within days.
More importantly, this almost certainly won’t be his final World Cup. Given his age and physical condition, Mbappe is expected to remain a key figure for France at the 2030 and 2034 tournaments as well.
That means he could realistically play two more FIFA World Cups after the current edition.
𝐊𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐁𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐋-𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐔𝐏 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑 😲
Kylian Mbappé in the World Cup:
🏟️ 18 games
⚽ 18 goals
🅰️ 5 assists pic.twitter.com/1Zxcgy9nhK— 433 (@433) June 30, 2026
Should he maintain anything close to his current scoring rate, the French superstar could finish his World Cup career with 25 to 30 goals, a total that may stand as one of football’s most difficult records to break.
Growing legacy
In terms of accolades, Mbappe’s trophy cabinet is second to none.
FIFA World Cup 2018, FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner 2022, Hat-trick in a 2022 World Cup final, most goals scored in World Cup finals, and many MOTMs.
Yet, his greatest achievement may still lie ahead.
With France firmly in contention at the ongoing FIFA World Cup and two more tournaments potentially on the horizon, Mbappe has every opportunity to rewrite football history.