Lionel Messi Responds to Kylian Mbappe to Claim Share of Record
The storied history of the World Cup has featured some of the best players and most impactful scorers in the history of the beautiful game.
Coincidentally, the two all-time greats who met to decide the 2022 World Cup winner have already shot up the leaderboard after jaw-dropping performances in their 2026 Cup openers on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi unleashed a hat trick for defending champion Argentina in a 3-0 win over Algeria, while Kylian Mbappé lifted France with two goals of his own during a 3-1 nail-biter versus Senegal.
Where do Messi and Mbappé stand all-time among World Cup goal scorers? Peek at the leaderboard and track their performance for two juggernaut nations throughout the 2026 edition of soccer's global event at Lindy's Sports.
Who has scored the most goals in World Cup history?
This list of top scorers all-time in the World Cup is current as of June 17, 2026:
Rk | Player | Country | Tournaments | Goals Scored |
T-1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 | 16 |
T-1 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 | 16 |
2 | Ronaldo | Brazil | 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 | 15 |
T-3 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 2018, 2022, 2026 | 14 |
T-3 | Gerd Müller | West Germany | 1970, 1974 | 14 |
T-4 | Just Fontaine | France | 1958 | 13 |
T-6 | Pele | Brazil | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 | 12 |
T-8 | Sándor Kocsis | Hungary | 1954 | 11 |
T-8 | Jürgen Klinsmann | West Germany/Germany | 1990, 1994, 1998 | 11 |
10 | 6 Players | N/A | N/A | 10 |
Messi is now tied for the all-time lead in World Cup action after just his first game in the 2026 event.
Given the significant age difference between the two, the soon-to-be 39-year-old Messi is likely making his last stand to cement his place on the all-time World Cup goals list.
He'll need to put some distance between himself and the Gen Z wonder Mbappé, 27, who may have at least three World Cups left in him.
*Note: Active 2026 World Cup competitors Harry Kane (England striker) and Neymar (Brazil forward) each have eight goals. However, at age 32 and 34, respectively, they'll need to ramp up their pace to come close to breaking the record.
Messi, Mbappe World Cup 2026 goals tracker
- Lionel Messi: 3 goals
- Kylian Mbappé: 2 goals
Group stage, Game 1 (June 16)
The Argentine one-upped Mbappé again, on top of winning the 2022 Final against France.
Messi, who turns 39 on June 24, deposited three balls into the back of the net knowing Mbappé had already locked in a brace.
This is the goal that gave Messi a share of the all-time lead:
FIFA WORLD CUP HAT TRICK FOR MESSI!
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 17, 2026
Lionel Messi ties Miroslav Klose for the most goals in Men's FIFA World Cup history with 16 pic.twitter.com/vw6bl65w7s
Meanwhile, earlier in the day's action, Mbappe netted two against Algeria, including this one from way downtown to regain a two-goal lead after Senegal made France sweat late:
Kylian Mbappé, you are UNREAL! pic.twitter.com/7dQ0AdQ7tO
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 16, 2026
Luckily, the soccer world will once again be able to watch Messi and Mbappé take the World Cup pitch on the same day in their second group game:
Related: Folarin Balogun's Dominant World Cup Debut Revives Team USA's Hope For Deep Run
When is Lionel Messi playing in the 2026 World Cup?
Track the Messi vs. Mbappé battle to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with each stage.
Luckily, given that Argentina and France rank among the favorites to lift the trophy, expect more games to be added to these fixture schedules:
Group J Stage: Argentina schedule
- Tuesday, June 16: Argentina 3:0 Algeria
- Monday, June 22: Argentina vs. Austria, 1 p.m. ET
- Saturday, June 27: Jordan vs. Argentina, 10 p.m. ET
When is Kylian Mbappé playing in the 2026 World Cup?
Group I Stage: France schedule
- Tuesday, June 16: France 3:1 Senegal
- Monday, June 22: France vs. Iraq, 5 p.m. ET
- Friday, June 26: Norway vs. France, 3 p.m. ET
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 5:33 AM.