The Record at the Top
As of May 2026, Miroslav Klose of Germany sits at the top of the all-time World Cup goalscoring list with 16 goals. He scored them across four different tournaments — 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. Klose was a tall, calm centre-forward whose game was built less on speed than on movement, heading, and consistency, and he made his presence felt at every World Cup he played in.
Passing Ronaldo
The man Klose passed at the top of the list was another famous name: Ronaldo of Brazil, who had held the record with 15 goals from his tournaments in 1998, 2002, and 2006. Klose drew level with Ronaldo and then went past him during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Symbolically, that record-breaking goal came on Brazilian soil, in the same Germany side that went on to thrash the hosts 7–1 in the famous semi-final.
A World Cup Winner Too
Klose's record is not only about scoring. He also lifted the trophy. The 2014 World Cup, in which he broke the all-time scoring record, ended with Germany beating Argentina 1–0 in the final in Rio de Janeiro. So Klose's last World Cup tournament gave him both the goalscoring crown and the medal he had spent his career chasing — a rare combination.
A Record That Could Move in 2026
The 2026 World Cup is about to begin, and several active players are within reach of Klose's record. As of May 2026 he still leads, but a star striker enjoying a strong tournament could overtake him over the course of a few weeks. The number is what it is going into 2026, and the tournament itself will decide whether it stands or moves.
Source
This article was written using information from Wikipedia.