ARLINGTON, United States — Cristiano Ronaldo has etched his name into World Cup history, joining the top 10 all-time goal scorers with 10 tournament goals as Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé continue their record-breaking pursuit in the 2026 edition.
Ronaldo’s achievement places him alongside legends such as Gabriel Batistuta, Gary Lineker, and Harry Kane, each with 10 World Cup goals. The Portuguese star reached this milestone during the ongoing tournament, adding to his tally of eight goals from five previous editions.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has firmly established himself as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. The Argentine captain scored his 17th and 18th World Cup goals in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday, breaking the previous record of 16 goals held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose. Messi opened the scoring in the 38th minute and sealed the record in stoppage time, despite missing an earlier penalty.
“It was huge, tough and difficult. It would allow us to be relaxed to what’s ahead. All matches in this World Cup are very even, very intense. I’m enjoying this moment and craving to enjoy with my teammates,” Messi said after the match.
Kylian Mbappé, the 27-year-old French superstar, has also climbed the all-time rankings. He scored his 15th career World Cup goal in France’s match against Iraq, moving into third place and tying Brazil legend Ronaldo on the list. He surpassed Gerd Müller (14 goals) with his brace in France’s tournament-opening victory against Senegal. Mbappé now has 16 World Cup goals, just two behind Messi’s record, and has maintained a remarkable goal-per-game ratio, scoring in 16 of his 16 World Cup appearances.
With France’s deep run in the tournament, Mbappé could have up to seven more matches to challenge Messi’s record. The gauntlet has been thrown down in what is shaping up to be a captivating Golden Boot race.
Top 10 All-Time World Cup Scorers:
1. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 18 goals
2. Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goals
3. Kylian Mbappé (France) – 16 goals
4. Ronaldo (Brazil) – 15 goals
5. Gerd Müller (West Germany) – 14 goals
6. Just Fontaine (France) – 13 goals
7. Pelé (Brazil) – 12 goals
8. Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) – 11 goals
9. Jürgen Klinsmann (West Germany/Germany) – 11 goals
10. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 10 goals
