The FIFA World Cup has showcased a number of world-class goal-scorers over the years, with over 2,000 goals scored in the 21 editions of the men’s tournament. However, only a few players stand among the rest as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorers.
Any player may break through during a single World Cup to win the Golden Boot–given to the player who scores the most goals in a particular tournament–but not many have had prolonged success in the international event. Germany’s Miroslav Klose reigns supreme as the men’s all-time scoring leader, with 16 goals across four competitions from 2002 to ’14.
Though Klose may hold the record for the men, his mark comes up just short of Brazil women’s star Marta. The standout forward scored 17 goals in five different tournaments from 2003 to ’19.
