Argentina’s football superstar Lionel Messi scored his ninth World Cup goal in the World Cup round of 16 against Australia with the goal to 1-0 and passed the national icon Diego Maradona.
Only Gabriel Batistuta is more successful than Messi with ten World Cup goals.
The 2014 world champion Miroslav Klose still leads the list of World Cup record scorers with 16 goals ahead of the Brazilian Ronaldo.
The most successful World Cup goal scorers at a glance (top 30):
1. Miroslav Klose 2002-2014 16 goals
2. Ronaldo (Brazil) 1998-2006 15
3. Gerd Muller 1970-1974 14
4. Just Fontaine (France) 1958 13
5. Pele (Brazil) 1958-1970 12
6. Sandor Kocsis (Hungary) 1954 11
6. Juergen Klinsmann 1990-1998 11
8. Grzegorz Lato (Poland) 1974-1982 10
8. Gary Lineker (England) 1986-1990 10
8. Thomas Müller * 2010-2022 10
8. Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina) 1994-2002 10
8. Helmut Rahn 1954-1958 10
8. Teofilo Cubillas 1978-1982 (Peru) 10
14. Christian Vieri (Italy) 1998-2002 9
14. Eusebio (Portugal) 1966 9
14. Roberto Baggio (Italy) 1990-1998 9
14. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 1978-1986 9
14.David Villa (Spain) 2006-2014 9
14. Paolo Rossi (Italy) 1978-1986 9
14. Jairzinho (Brazil) 1970-1974 9
14. Uwe Seeler 1958-1970 9
14. Ademir (Brazil) 1950 9
14. Vava (Brazil) 1958-1962 9
14.Lionel Messi (Argentina) * 2006-2022 9
25. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) * 2006-2022 8
25. Rivaldo (Brazil) 1998-2002 8
25. Oscar Miguez (Uruguay) 1950-1954 8
25. Diego Maradona (Argentina) 1982-1994 8
25. Rudi Voller 1986-1994 8
25. Leonidas (Brazil) 1934-1938 8
25. Guillermo Stabile (Argentina) 1930 8
32. Johnny Rep (Netherlands) 1974-1978 7
32. Lajos Tichy (Hungary) 1958-1962 7
32. Hans Schäfer 1954-1962 7
32. Andrzej Szarmach (Poland) 1974-1982 7
32. Oldrich Nejedly (CSSR) 1934-1938 7
32. Luis Suarez (Uruguay) * 2010-2022 7
32. Careca (Brazil) 1986-1990 7
32. Kylian Mbappe (France) * 2018-2022 7
*Player still active