The all-time top goal scorers of FIFA World Cup qualifying leaders for the men’s FIFA World Cup include goals scored in qualification matches. In World Cup finals alone, Germany’s Miroslav Klose holds the record with 16 goals. In the modern era of soccer, a few legendary names always stand out — Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Robert Lewandowski are among the most talked-about players worldwide. Fans are often curious to know which of these superstars dominates the international stage as the highest goal scorer, especially when representing their nations in crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The all-time leading goalscorers in FIFA World Cup qualifying for the men’s tournament are ranked by the number of goals scored during qualification matches. However, including qualification games significantly alters the rankings. Guatemala’s Carlos “Pescado” Ruiz leads the list with an impressive 39 goals in World Cup qualifiers.
He is followed by Lionel Messi (Argentina and Inter Miami) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal and Al Nassr), who have each scored 36 goals in World Cup qualification matches. Iran’s Ali Daei has 35 such goals. The figures above include matches up through September 2025 (for example, Messi reached 36 goals with a brace on 4 September 2025), so they reflect the latest qualifying games.
These top scorers include goals from all World Cup tournaments and qualifiers. The five players mentioned are the only ones with over 30 goals in World Cup competition (including qualifiers.
In the final tournaments, Klose (16), Ronaldo (15), and Lionel Messi (13) lead the pack; however, their totals are surpassed when the entire qualifying campaign is taken into account. Combining finals and qualifiers, Ruiz, Messi, Ronaldo, Daei, and Lewandowski stand out as the top five scorers in World Cup history.
Top 5 All-Time top goal scorers in World Cup qualifying (Finals + Qualifiers)
Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala)
Guatemala’s veteran striker holds the World Cup record with 39 goals in qualification matches. He never played in a World Cup final, but his qualifying tallies (47 appearances) make him the all-time leader in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
- Appearances (Qualifiers): 47
- Goals (Qualifiers): 36
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Argentina’s captain scored 36 goals in World Cup qualifying, tying him with Cristiano Ronaldo. This total includes the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers played through September 2025. In the World Cup finals themselves, Messi has 13 goals (across five tournaments).
- Appearances (Qualifiers): 72
- Goals (Qualifiers): 36
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
The Portuguese legend also has 36 goals in World Cup qualifying. He has played in five World Cups and scored 8 goals in the finals tournaments. His 36 qualifiers goals came in 47 games. The FIFA World Cup 2026 is approaching, and the qualification matches have already begun.
- Appearances (Qualifiers): 47
- Goals (Qualifiers): 36
Ali Daei (Iran)
Iran’s all-time top scorer recorded 35 World Cup qualifying goals. Daei never scored in a World Cup finals game, but his 51 qualifier appearances produced 35 goals for Iran.
- Appearances (Qualifiers): 51
- Goals (Qualifiers): 35
Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
The Polish striker has 31 goals in World Cup qualifying matches. He also has 9 goals in World Cup finals (2018, 2022), but his qualifying haul makes him one of only five players above 30 total World Cup goals.
- Appearances (Qualifiers): 40
- Goals (Qualifiers): 31
Top 30 All-Time FIFA World Cup Qualifiers top scorers
World Cup Scorers (Finals + Qualifiers)
The list below lists the top 30 men’s players by goals in FIFA World Cup play (including all final tournaments and qualification matches). The figures are current as of September 5, 2025 (following the latest qualifying games).
| S No | Player | Country | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlos Ruiz | Guatemala | 47 | 39 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 72 | 36 |
| 3 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 47 | 36 |
| 4 | Ali Daei | Iran | 51 | 35 |
| 5 | Robert Lewandowski | Poland | 40 | 31 |
| 6 | Luis Suárez | Uruguay | 64 | 29 |
| 7 | Sardar Azmoun | Iran | 41 | 29 |
| 8 | Chris Wood | New Zealand | 31 | 29 |
| 9 | Karim Bagheri | Iran | 29 | 28 |
| 10 | Kazuyoshi Miura | Japan | 23 | 27 |
| 11 | Edin Džeko | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 39 | 26 |
| 12 | Andriy Shevchenko | Ukraine | 40 | 26 |
| 13 | Mehdi Taremi | Iran | 44 | 25 |
| 14 | Son Heung-min | South Korea | 47 | 25 |
| 15 | Carlos Pavón | Honduras | 37 | 25 |
| 16 | Tim Cahill | Australia | 37 | 25 |
| 17 | Ali Mabkhout | UAE | 32 | 24 |
| 18 | Jared Borgetti | Mexico | 24 | 23 |
| 19 | Marcelo Moreno | Bolivia | 64 | 22 |
| 20 | Paulo Wanchope | Costa Rica | 37 | 21 |
| 21 | Alexis Sánchez | Chile | 63 | 20 |
| 22 | Lei Wu | China | 39 | 20 |
| 23 | Harry Kane | England | 17 | 20 |
| 24 | Stern John | Trinidad & Tobago | 49 | 20 |
| 25 | Archie Thompson | Australia | 16 | 20 |
| 26 | Jozy Altidore | USA | 43 | 18 |
| 27 | Clint Dempsey | USA | 44 | 18 |
| 28 | Didier Drogba | Ivory Coast | 19 | 18 |
| 29 | Deon McCauley | Belize | 18 | 18 |
| 30 | Hernán Crespo | Argentina | 32 | 19 |