Messi tops 2026 World Cup scoring chart, becomes all-time leader

Lionel Messi has surged to the top of the 2026 World Cup scoring charts, netting two goals in Argentina's victory over Austria. This brace not only propels him to the leading scorer position in the current tournament but also cements his legacy as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose.

Messi's performance in the early stages of the 2026 World Cup has been exceptional. After scoring a hat-trick in Argentina's match against Algeria, his two goals against Austria brought his total to 18, a new record. He has now scored five goals in the first two matches of the tournament.

Following closely behind is French forward Kylian Mbappé, who is currently in second place on the all-time scorers list. With potentially seven more matches to play, Mbappé has the opportunity to close the gap. He needs two more goals to equal Klose's record and four more to match Messi's current tally, assuming Messi does not score again.