Top goalscorers in World Cup history.

Football has a lot of charm and a lot of great things, which is why is called the beautiful game. But nothing beats the excitement and the wonderful feeling of scoring a goal or watching your team score one. This is one of the biggest joys in football and is increased twofold when it happens with your national team in a World Cup.

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So, it is only natural that the top goalscorers in the World Cup get a lot of praise since is a massive accolade and a very prestigious achievement. But who are these men that have accomplished this feat? In this article, we will talk about the top five goalscorers in World Cup history.

Let’s begin.

5. 5. Pelé.

12 World Cup goals with Brazil in 14 matches across four editions (1958, 1962, 1966, and 1970).

Everybody knows Pelé. He is one of the most known athletes in the history of the sport and is widely regarded as one of the finest footballers to ever grace the globe. And while he never played in Europe, his 18 year stint with Santos is the stuff of legends, just like his exploits with Brazil in the World Cup.

Pelé won his first World Cup with Brazil in the 1958 edition at just 17 years old, with the young Brazilian proving his worth and his mettle in a notorious manner. He would continue to be instrumental for his nation’s success for over a decade, with the 1970 World Cup held in Mexico, his last one, probably being the most celebrated as that Brazilian side is viewed as one of the best teams to ever play the sport.

So, it’s safe to say that Pelé had a lot of fun in the World Cup, scoring 12 goals in 14 matches across four editions, thus highlighting how dominant he was in the competition and how influential he was during his prime years.

4. Just Fontaine.

13 World Cup goals with France in 6 matches in one edition (1958).

Probably the least known player in this list, but by no means a less impressive individual.

Frenchman Just Fontaine was an instrumental striker during the peak years of French side Stade de Reims during the late 50s and early 60s (they even faced Alfredo Di Stefano’s Real Madrid in the European Cup final), but it was during the 1958 World Cup held in Sweden (coinciding with Pelé arriving to the scene as a teenager) where he achieved his greatest feat.

The other four players in this list scored their goals across several editions, but Fontaine did it in just one with a whopping 13 goals in just 6 matches, highlighting how much of a prolific goalscorer he was in his peak.

Definitely one of the most underrated players in this list and one that deserves a lot more recognition beyond what he did in Sweden in 1958.

3. Gerd Müller.

14 World Cup goals with Germany in 13 matches across two editions (1970 and 1974).

Der Bomber was one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of football, being an instrumental figure in the success of Bayern Munich and, of course, the German national team during the 1970s.

Müller was a monumental figure during the 70s in football and his goalscoring prowess have become the inspiration of legends, which is not surprising to see that he was so effective in the World Cup, scoring 14 goals in 13 matches across two editions, plus helping Germany win the competition in 1974.

In fact, such were Müller’s exploits that he became the competition’s top goalscorer in 1974 and it took someone else, on German soil, 32 years to beat his record.

And that someone was a bit of a phenomenon…

2. Ronaldo.

15 World Cup goals with Brazil in 19 matches across four editions (1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006).

One of the definitive players in the history of football and one of the best athletes in the history of sports. Everybody knows who Ronaldo is and he proved, time and time again, how he was one of the most gifted players in the game, something that he showed across his career in some of the best clubs in the world, such as Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and AC Milan.

But if there is one area where Ronald thrived and became an absolute legend of the game was during his exploits in the World Cup. Even though he was part of the 1994 Brazilian squad that won the tournament, he didn’t play any single minutes, so his 15 World Cup goals in 19 matches should be considered in just three editions (1998, 2002, and 2006).

Ever since he started banging goals in the 1998 edition of the tournament in France, Ronaldo was viewed as the absolute favorite to break Gerd Müller’s record, and he did it on German soil during the 2006 World Cup.

Ronaldo had cemented himself as the definitive World Cup goalscorer. But there was somebody else that wanted the throne…

1. Miroslav Klose.

16 World Cup goals with Germany in 24 matches across four editions (2002, 2006, 2010, and 2010).

Miroslav Klose was always a prolific striker wherever he went and he proved just that during his performances with Germany in the World Cup, scoring regularly across all four editions he played in and playing a key role in their success, including winning the competition in 2014 where Klose finally beat Ronaldo’s record.

He was a very consistent goalscorer and perhaps had a bit of a low profile, but this achievement was a victory for his professionalism, willingness to help his teammates, and overall doing his best.

Who could break the record now?

It’s hard to tell right now, but the most likely candidate should be the German Thomas Müller. The Bayern Munich starlet is still going strong and has 10 goals in 16 matches across three World Cup editions (2010, 2014, and 2018), but at 33 years old, he would most likely have to seize this year in Qatar and score seven goals to surpass his compatriot and former teammate, Klose.

But if Thomas doesn’t manage to achieve that, it’s very difficult to see someone beating Klose in the coming editions.