Top Players with Most Goals in World Cup Knockout Stages

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is ongoing and stars are breaking records in the knockout stage.

After the Round of 32 wrapped up and the Round of 16 kicked off on Saturday, PUNCH Online is highlighting the players with the most goals in World Cup knockout matches.

FIFA updated the rankings on Friday. France captain Kylian Mbappé is the top scorer in knockout-stage history with 10 goals.

The 27-year-old reached this milestone after scoring twice in France’s 3-0 win over Sweden during the Round of 32 on June 30.

Mbappé averages 1.11 goals per knockout game, the highest among active players on the list.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has joined three other players with six knockout stage goals after scoring in Argentina’s 3-2 extra-time win over Cape Verde on Friday.

FIFA reveals that just 20 players in World Cup history have scored at least five goals in knockout matches.

FIFA World Cup Knockout Stage Top Scorers

Rank
Player
Country
Goals
Games

1
Kylian Mbappé
France
10
9

2
Leonidas
Brazil
8
5

2
Ronaldo
Brazil
8
10

4
Just Fontaine
France
7
3

4
Vavá
Brazil
7
5

4
Oldřich Nejedlý
Czechoslovakia
7
6

4
Pelé
Brazil
7
6

8
Eusébio
Portugal
6
3

9
György Sárosi
Hungary
6
5

9
Gary Lineker
England
6
6

9
Roberto Baggio
Italy
6
9

9
Lionel Messi
Argentina
6
13

13
Silvio Piola
Italy
5
4

13
Gyula Zsengellér
Hungary
5
4

13
Helmut Rahn
West Germany
5
6

13
Harry Kane
England
5
7

13
Thomas Müller
Germany
5
7

13
Zinedine Zidane
France
5
7

13
Wesley Sneijder
Netherlands
5
8

13
Miroslav Klose
Germany
5
14

FIFA mentioned that comparing players from different eras should be done with care. The World Cup format has changed a lot over the years.

The organization pointed out that the tournaments in 1934 and 1938 were fully knockout competitions, and the 1950 World Cup had no knockout stage.

It also noted that the tournaments in 1930, 1974, 1978, and 1982 had fewer knockout matches compared to today’s format.