Scoring a goal at a World Cup is already a dream for any footballer. But scoring again and again on the biggest stage in world football is something reserved for only a select few. Throughout World Cup history, several legends have produced unforgettable goal-scoring performances, yet nobody has managed to surpass the incredible record set by Just Fontaine in 1958.

The French striker still holds the record for the most goals scored in a single World Cup edition thanks to the astonishing 13 goals he scored at Sweden 1958. Nearly seven decades later, the record remains untouched. Fontaine achieved the feat in only six matches, averaging almost two goals per game.

His remarkable tournament included goals against Paraguay, Scotland, Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland, Brazil and West Germany. Although France did not win the title and were eliminated by Brazil in the semifinals, Fontaine finished the competition with one of the greatest attacking displays football has ever seen.

The player who came closest to matching him was Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis, who scored 11 goals during the 1954 World Cup. Later, German legend Gerd Müller netted 10 goals at Mexico 1970, becoming the only other player besides Fontaine and Kocsis to reach double digits in a single tournament.

Over the years, several other football icons have also approached the historic mark. Ademir de Menezes and Eusébio scored nine goals in 1950 and 1966 respectively, while Ronaldo Nazário, Guillermo Stábile and Kylian Mbappé each managed eight goals in their World Cup campaigns.

At Qatar 2022, Mbappé came extremely close to making history himself. The French forward won the Golden Boot after scoring eight goals, including a memorable hat-trick in the final against Argentina, although he could not prevent France from losing to Lionel Messi’s side.

Messi himself also entered the historic rankings after scoring seven goals at the 2022 World Cup, the tournament in which he finally lifted the one trophy missing from his legendary career.

 Top scorers in a single World Cup

1. Just Fontaine (France) — 13 goals (1958)
2. Sándor Kocsis (Hungary) — 11 goals (1954)
3. Gerd Müller (Germany) — 10 goals (1970)
4. Ademir de Menezes (Brazil) — 9 goals (1950)
5. Eusébio (Portugal) — 9 goals (1966)
6. Guillermo Stábile (Argentina) — 8 goals (1930)
7. Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) — 8 goals (2002)
8. Kylian Mbappé (France) — 8 goals (2022)
9. Jairzinho (Brazil) — 7 goals (1970)
10. Grzegorz Lato (Poland) — 7 goals (1974)
11. Lionel Messi (Argentina) — 7 goals (2022)

In addition to the historical recognition, the top scorer at every World Cup receives the prestigious Golden Boot award, an honor reserved for the tournament’s greatest stars. The most recent winner was Mbappé, while legends such as Ronaldo Nazário and Paolo Rossi also managed to combine the Golden Boot with lifting the World Cup trophy.

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