All Time Highest Goal Scorer in FIFA World Cup: On a record-setting night at the FIFA World Cup, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland raised the bar with two goals each before Lionel Messi defied expectations with his first-ever hat-trick at the FIFA World Cup. Three goals from Messi against Algeria in a Group J clash not only helped Argentina start their World Cup title defence with a 3-0 victory, but also helped Messi join Miroslav Klose as the highest goal-scorer at FIFA World Cup. How Messi scored a hatrick Messi’s first goal came in the 17th minute. He curled a left-footed shot past Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane (the son of French legend Zinedine Zidane) after being fed by Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul. The second goal came in much easier fashion, after a teammate took a shot at goal, Zidane could not collect it and ended up sending it back into to play where Messi, who had started the move on the left flank, was at hand to finish the goal with a tap in. Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria in his 200th game for the country. (AP Photo) Messi’s third goal was also a left-footed shot, where he clinically finished off some good build up play from his teammates. Just over a minute after he had completed his first hat-trick in World Cup history, Messi was subbed off to a standing ovation from a heavily pro-Argentina crowd. The three goals came 20 years to the day that Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina in a match against Serbia and Montenegro (where he had also scored. Messi now has 16 goals in his career, putting him in a tie with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the career record. Top 10 Highest Goal Scorers in FIFA World Cup History Messi is tied at top place with Germany’s Klose. By the time the tournament ends, Klose could be overhauled by Messi and Mbappe.Story continues below this ad Rank Player Country Goals Matches Tournaments (Wins in Bold) T1 Miroslav Klose Germany 16 24 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 T1 Lionel Messi Argentina 16 27 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 2 Ronaldo Brazil 15 19 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 T3 Gerd Muller West Germany 14 13 1970, 1974 T3 Kylian Mbappe France 14 15 2018, 2022, 2026 4 Just Fontaine France 13 26 1958 5 Pele Brazil 12 14 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 T6 Sandor Kocsis Hungary 11 5 1954 T6 Jurgen Klinsmann Germany 11 17 1990, 1994, 1998 After Klinsmann, there are six players who have scored 10 goals at a FIFA World Cup. Helmut Rahn, Gary Lineker, Gabriel Batistuta, Teofilo Cubillas, Thomas Muller, and Grzegorz Lato.
Top 10 Highest Goal Scorer in FIFA World Cup: Lionel Messi joins Klose at top
