Messi joins Klose atop World Cup scoring charts
Lionel Messi's 16th goal ties the all-time record, reshaping the tournament's scoring legacy.
Lionel Messi has tied the all-time World Cup goal record, matching Miroslav Klose’s 16 goals. The milestone arrived in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Nigeria at the 2026 World Cup group stage on November 26, 2025. Messi’s 11th-minute strike broke a deadlock that had held since the 38th minute, when Julián Álvarez forced a brilliant save from Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
The goal was Messi’s first of the tournament and his 16th across five World Cup editions, spanning 2006 to 2026. The record tie lifts Messi into a tie atop the tournament’s all-time scoring charts, a list previously dominated by Klose, who set the mark in 2014. Messi joins an exclusive group: only Klose (16), Ronaldo (15), and Gerd Müller (14) have reached double digits in World Cup finals.
