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When Lionel Messi takes the pitch for the 2026 World Cup final against Spain at 3 p.m. ET on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, it might be his final international match for Argentina.
But regardless of whether it is his final game or not, Messi will be far and away the all-time leader in goal contributions at the World Cup.
USA TODAY analyzed goal and assist data from FIFA and Opta/Stats Perform to compile the 10 players with the most goal contributions in men’s World Cup history.
At 39 years old, Messi is the clear No. 1.
With 21 goals and 12 assists across six World Cups, Messi has a total of 33 goal contributions in his World Cup career.
That beats out Frenchman Kylian Mbappe, who currently leads the all-time goal mark with 22— thanks to a wild third-place match against England — and six assists, leaving him five shy of Messi for total contributions.
It’s another big step down after Mbappe.
Brazilian great Pele is third with 21 contributions via 12 goals and nine assists. His six assists at the 1970 World Cup stood as the single-tournament record until Frenchman Michael Olise registered seven this year.
Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who held the all-time goal record before the 2026 World Cup, is tied for fourth with 19 contributions. Also at 19 is the Brazilian Ronaldo, who held the record with 15 goals from 2006 to 2014.
Two players are just behind at 18. Gerd Muller, who held the scoring record from 1974 until Ronaldo broke it in 2006, recorded 14 goals and four assists. Harry Kane also has 18, with 14 goals and four assists across three World Cup campaigns.
Kane played in the 2026 tournament, but will be 36 by the time the 2030 World Cup rolls around and is undecided if he’ll play for England at that tournament.
Poland’s Grzegorz Lato is eighth with 17 contributions, recording 10 goals and seven assists. Thomas Muller and Diego Maradona are tied for ninth with 16 apiece, rounding out the 10-player list. Muller recorded 10 goals and six assists, while Maradona had eight of each.
Just outside the top 10 is Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 11 times and assisted three goals in six World Cups. The 41-year-old has announced this year’s tournament will be his last for Portugal.
It’s conceivable that Mbappe will eventually pass Messi for all-time goal contributions, as he’ll be 31 in 2030. Should he play for France at the World Cup until Messi’s age, he could potentially play three more tournaments.
To get by Messi, Mbappe will need to stay healthy, maintain fitness, and have France avoid early shock exits.
Regardless of the future, however, Messi is king when it comes to scoring and assisting at the World Cup — for the time being at least.
Methodology: FIFA was the primary source for goals and published career goal-contribution totals. Where FIFA did not publish a career assist aggregate, assists were taken from Opta/Stats Perform, whose World Cup assist list covers matches from 1966 onward. Explicit FIFA career totals took precedence where the providers differed, including FIFA’s accounting for assists from earlier tournaments. Statistics are through July 18.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Messi stands alone in World Cup scoring history. This chart shows how
Continue reading...
But regardless of whether it is his final game or not, Messi will be far and away the all-time leader in goal contributions at the World Cup.
USA TODAY analyzed goal and assist data from FIFA and Opta/Stats Perform to compile the 10 players with the most goal contributions in men’s World Cup history.
At 39 years old, Messi is the clear No. 1.
With 21 goals and 12 assists across six World Cups, Messi has a total of 33 goal contributions in his World Cup career.
That beats out Frenchman Kylian Mbappe, who currently leads the all-time goal mark with 22— thanks to a wild third-place match against England — and six assists, leaving him five shy of Messi for total contributions.
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It’s another big step down after Mbappe.
Brazilian great Pele is third with 21 contributions via 12 goals and nine assists. His six assists at the 1970 World Cup stood as the single-tournament record until Frenchman Michael Olise registered seven this year.
Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who held the all-time goal record before the 2026 World Cup, is tied for fourth with 19 contributions. Also at 19 is the Brazilian Ronaldo, who held the record with 15 goals from 2006 to 2014.
Two players are just behind at 18. Gerd Muller, who held the scoring record from 1974 until Ronaldo broke it in 2006, recorded 14 goals and four assists. Harry Kane also has 18, with 14 goals and four assists across three World Cup campaigns.
Kane played in the 2026 tournament, but will be 36 by the time the 2030 World Cup rolls around and is undecided if he’ll play for England at that tournament.
Poland’s Grzegorz Lato is eighth with 17 contributions, recording 10 goals and seven assists. Thomas Muller and Diego Maradona are tied for ninth with 16 apiece, rounding out the 10-player list. Muller recorded 10 goals and six assists, while Maradona had eight of each.
Just outside the top 10 is Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 11 times and assisted three goals in six World Cups. The 41-year-old has announced this year’s tournament will be his last for Portugal.
It’s conceivable that Mbappe will eventually pass Messi for all-time goal contributions, as he’ll be 31 in 2030. Should he play for France at the World Cup until Messi’s age, he could potentially play three more tournaments.
To get by Messi, Mbappe will need to stay healthy, maintain fitness, and have France avoid early shock exits.
Regardless of the future, however, Messi is king when it comes to scoring and assisting at the World Cup — for the time being at least.
Methodology: FIFA was the primary source for goals and published career goal-contribution totals. Where FIFA did not publish a career assist aggregate, assists were taken from Opta/Stats Perform, whose World Cup assist list covers matches from 1966 onward. Explicit FIFA career totals took precedence where the providers differed, including FIFA’s accounting for assists from earlier tournaments. Statistics are through July 18.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Messi stands alone in World Cup scoring history. This chart shows how
Continue reading...
