The seven goals Lionel Messi scored in Qatar over the past month helped propel Argentina to its third World Cup. Those goals, two of them in the final, helped Messi win the Golden Ball as the best World Cup player.
Top goal scorers in World Cup history
Miroslav
Klose
16 goals
Ronaldo
Goals
15 goals
Gerd Müller
Messi
15
14 goals
13 goals
5 World Cups
Mbappé
12 goals
2 World Cups
10
5th World Cup
Qatar ’22
2nd World Cup
Qatar ’22
Russia ’18
5
Russia ’18
Brazil ’14
South Africa ’10
Germany ’06
0
5
10
15
20
25
World Cup games
Includes Messi, Mbappé and top 3 goal scorers in World
Cup history.
Miroslav
Klose
16 goals
Ronaldo
Goals
15 goals
Gerd Müller
Messi
15
14 goals
13 goals
5 World Cups
Mbappé
12 goals
2 World Cups
10
5th World Cup
Qatar ’22
2nd World Cup
Qatar ’22
Russia ’18
5
Brazil ’14
Russia ’18
South Africa ’10
Germany ’06
0
5
10
15
20
25
World Cup games
Includes Messi, Mbappé and top 3 goal scorers in World Cup history.
Messi’s seven goals, four on penalty kicks, over seven appearances in this World Cup, lifted him to fourth on the event’s all-time list of top scorers. Mbappé, only 23 and playing in his second World Cup, already has 12 goals, placing him among the most prolific scorers in the event’s history.
This tournament, Messi also became the top goal scorer in Argentina’s World Cup history, surpassing Gabriel Batistuta, who scored 10 goals in three World Cups, and Diego Maradona, who had eight goals in four World Cups.
Mbappé’s eight goals helped lift France to its second straight World Cup final. Mbappe claimed his first World Cup goal as teenager in 2018, and his star has only grown brighter.
The top goal scorers in Qatar
The four top scorers of the 2022 World Cup reached the final with Argentina and France.
8 goals
1.
Mbappé
France
Messi
Argentina
7 goals
2.
4 goals
Álvarez
3.
Argentina
4 goals
4.
Giroud
France
GOAL
FIELD
Kylian Mbappé
8 goals
4
5
3
2
1
8
6
7
3
1
2
5
4
7
Mbappé scored on two penalty kicks in the final
Australia
Group stage
1
Denmark
Group stage
2
Denmark
Group stage
3
Poland
Round of 16
4
Poland
Round of 16
5
Argentina
Final
PK
6
Argentina
Final
7
Argentina
Final
Final
PK
8
Lionel Messi
7 goals
5
4
7
2
1
3
6
7
3
2
Messi scored four of his seven goals on penalty kicks
Saudi Arabia
Group stage
PK
1
Mexico
Group stage
2
Australia
Round of 16
3
Netherlands
Quarterfinal
PK
4
Croatia
Semifinal
PK
5
France
Final
PK
6
France
Final
7
Julián Álvarez
4 goals
1
3
4
2
3
4
2
1
Poland
Group stage
1
Australia
Round of 16
2
Croatia
Semifinal
3
Croatia
Semifinal
4
Olivier Giroud
4 goals
4
2
1
3
4
2
1
3
Australia
Group stage
1
Australia
Group stage
2
Poland
Round of 16
3
England
Quarterfinal
4
The four top scorers of the 2022 World Cup reached the final with Argentina and France.
8 goals
1.
Mbappé
France
2.
Messi
Argentina
7 goals
4 goals
Álvarez
3.
Argentina
4 goals
4.
Giroud
France
GOAL
FIELD
Kylian Mbappé
8 goals
4
5
3
2
1
8
6
7
3
1
2
5
4
7
Mbappé scored on two penalty kicks in the final
Australia
Group stage
1
Denmark
Group stage
2
Denmark
Group stage
3
Poland
Round of 16
4
Poland
Round of 16
5
Argentina
Final
PK
6
Argentina
Final
7
Argentina
Final
Final
PK
8
Lionel Messi
7 goals
5
4
7
2
1
3
6
7
3
2
Messi scored four of his seven goals on penalty kicks
Saudi Arabia
Group stage
PK
1
Mexico
Group stage
2
Australia
Round of 16
3
Netherlands
Quarterfinal
PK
4
Croatia
Semifinal
PK
5
France
Final
PK
6
France
Final
7
Julián Álvarez
4 goals
Olivier Giroud
4 goals
1
4
3
2
1
3
4
2
4
2
3
4
2
1
1
3
Australia
Group stage
Poland
Group stage
1
1
Australia
Group stage
Australia
Round of 16
2
2
Poland
Round of 16
Croatia
Semifinal
3
3
England
Quarterfinal
Croatia
Semifinal
4
4
France’s Olivier Giroud and Argentina’s Julián Álvarez also benefited from Messi and Mbappé's performances. They both had four goals apiece in Qatar, though none in the final.
Goals by tournament phase
November
Group
stage
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Mbappé twice had two-goal games in Qatar, once in a group-stage win over Denmark and then in a victory over Poland in the round of 16.
30
December
1
2
Round
of 16
3
4
5
6
7
8
Quarter-
finals
9
Giroud scored his fourth goal in the tournament in France's win over England.
10
11
12
Semi-
finals
13
Messi and Álvarez both scored in a win over Croatia to send Argentina to the World Cup final.
14
15
16
17
Final
18
Messi scored the first and third goals for Argentina, but Mbappé had a hat trick.
Group stage
Round of 16
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
November
December
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Messi and Álvarez both scored in a win over Croatia to send Argentina to the World Cup final.
Giroud scored his fourth goal in the tournament in France's win over England.
Mbappé twice had two-goal games in Qatar, once in a group-stage win over Denmark and then in a victory over Poland in the round of 16.
Messi scored the first and third goals for Argentina, but Mbappé had a hat trick.
Group stage
Round of 16
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
November
December
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Messi and Álvarez both scored in a win over Croatia to send Argentina to the World Cup final.
Giroud scored his fourth goal in the tournament in France's win over England.
Messi scored the first and third goals for Argentina, but Mbappé had a hat trick.
Mbappé twice had two-goal games in Qatar, once in a group-stage win over Denmark and then in a victory over Poland in the round of 16.
Messi scored in every game in the knockout stage, including two goals in the final. Mbappé, though, scored during the group stage, France’s round-of-16 match against Poland and the final against Argentina to take the match to the penalty shootout, in which France fell short 4-2.
About this story
Data from Washington Post reporting, FIFA, Transfermarkt and The Fjelstul World Cup Database.