Lionel Messi once again wrote a historic page in the World Cups this Friday by becoming the first footballer to reach 20 goals in the history of the tournament. The Argentine captain achieved the mark during the 2026 World Cup and expanded the gap with respect to the rest of the top scorers of the competition.

The Inter Miami forward achieved it by scoring 1-0 in the round of 32 against Cape Verde.

The new record, however, does not guarantee peace of mind. Kylian Mbappé remains very close in the historical classification thanks to his performance in the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The French forward has already accumulated 18 goals, surpassing the number with which the German Miroslav Klose closed his World Cup career, so the fight between the two will remain open as the competition progresses.

Behind Messi and Mbappé is Klose with 16 goals, followed by Ronaldo Nazário with 15, Gerd Müller with 14, as well as Just Fontaine and Harry Kane, both with 13 scores.

The Argentine's scoring journey began in Germany 2006 with a goal against Serbia and Montenegro. In Brazil 2014 he scored four goals, while in Russia 2018 he scored one against Nigeria. His most productive tournament came at Qatar 2022, where he scored seven times, including a brace in the final against France.

In the current edition of North America 2026, Messi has seven goals, enough to reach 20 World Cup goals and establish an unprecedented record. With Mbappé still in competition and showing a high level, the ranking of all-time top scorers promises to continue moving in the coming games.

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