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Miroslav Klose has scored more World Cup goals than any other international player
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The Germany legend ended his career with 16 goals in 24 World Cup appearances, one clear of Brazil hero Ronaldo
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1986 Golden Boot winner Gary Lineker has the most World Cup goals (10) for England
Representing your country at the World Cup is one of the greatest achievements in football, eclipsed only by scoring at the tournament.
Only the best of the best are able to make it in international football – many all-time greats have awed at club level but failed to shine on the biggest stage of all.
Miroslav Klose was not one of those players. In fact, the Germany striker seemed to save his best form for the World Cup stage and he was a fan favourite in sports betting odds.
Klose was a key figure for Germany during their golden era, scoring in four consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments between 2002 and 2014.
Readers who bet on football will know most, if not all, of the names on this list. From the likes of Gabriel Batistuta to the legendary Pele, here are some of the deadliest strikers in World Cup history.
Most FIFA World Cup Goals
Germany legend Miroslav Klose wrote his name into the history books at the 2014 World Cup as he surpassed Ronaldo’s tally of 15 goals at the tournament.
One of the most prolific strikers in German football history, Klose notched 71 goals in 137 international appearances and his strike in the 2014 World Cup semi-final will live long in the memory.
Klose broke Ronaldo’s record to put Germany 2-0 up against Brazil in Rio de Janeiro and the Germans went on to win 7-1 – taking the limelight from Klose’s record breaking day.
Some of the greatest players of all-time feature on this list – with most of them lifting the World Cup trophy at some stage in their career.
Without further ado, let’s look at the 13 players to score 10 or more goals at the FIFA World Cup finals.
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Miroslav Klose – 14 goals in 24 World Cup games
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Ronaldo – 15 goals in 19 World Cup games
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Gerd Muller – 14 goals in 13 World Cup games
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Just Fontaine – 13 goals in 6 World Cup games
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Pele – 12 goals in 14 World Cup games
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Sandor Kocsis – 11 goals in 5 World Cup games
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Jurgen Klinsmann – 11 goals in 17 World Cup games
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Helmut Rahn – 10 goals in 10 World Cup games
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Gary Lineker – 10 goals in 12 World Cup games
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Gabriel Batistuta – 10 goals in 12 World Cup games
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Teofilo Cubilas – 10 goals in 13 World Cup games
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Thomas Muller – 10 goals in 16 World Cup games
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Grzegorz Lato – 10 goals in 20 World Cup games
FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Winners
The Golden Boot is awarded to the top goal scorer at every FIFA World Cup and it is one of the most prestigious accolades in international football.
Won by Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane at the 2018 tournament in Russia, claiming the FIFA Golden Boot award is an incredible achievement.
In 21 editions of the competition, the Golden Boot has been shared on just two occasions; firstly between six players in 1962 before Oleg Salenko and Hristo Stoichkov tied for top scorer at the 1994 World Cup.
Most Goals In World Cup Final Matches
Incredibly, four players have scored three goals in World Cup final fixtures – though Geoff Hurst is the only male footballer to defy betting odds by scoring a hat-trick in the showpiece.
Brazil duo Vava and Pele also managed three across two World Cup finals while Zinedine Zidane emulated the Brazilian duo in 1998 and 2006.
Vava scored in consecutive World Cup finals in 1958 and 1962; a feat matched only by the great Ronaldo in 1998 and 2002.
The Brazil legend is one of six players with two World Cup final match goals, with Gino Colaussi, Silvio Piola, Helmut Rahn, Mario Kempes, Paul Breitner also notching a couple of World Cup final goals.
Most Goals At A Single FIFA World Cup
Just Fontaine’s record of 13 goals at a single World Cup may never be broken, with the France legend running riot at the 1958 tournament in Sweden.
By the end of France’s three group stage fixtures with Paraguay, Yugoslavia and Scotland, Fontaine was already sitting on six goals – a tally that would have been enough to win the Golden Boot outright at four World Cup finals.
He added a brace in the quarter-final win over Northern Ireland before scoring in the semi-final defeat to eventual winners Brazil.
In the third placed playoff, Fontaine was unstoppable as he scored four goals in the 6-2 defeat of West Germany to cement his status as a FIFA World Cup legend.
Unfortunately, Fontaine was forced to retire due to injury issues but his legacy as one of the greatest World Cup strikers of all-time will live on forever.
Fontaine finished his international career with 30 goals in 21 appearances for Les Bleus and his French jersey is especially popular amongst retro football shirts collectors.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Francois Xavier Marit, Pool / AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 31st August 2021
