The players with the most non-penalty goals in World Cup history

Lionel Messi has broken the World Cup goal record this summer, and Kylian Mbappe is already hunting him down.

Messi and Mbappe are leading an epic race for the2026 Golden Boot and have cemented themselves as the top two scorers in World Cup history.

However, who would top the charts without the helping hand of penalties?

Well, Messi moves down the third among World Cup top scorers excluding penalties, with four of his 19 goals having come from the spot. The Argentinean’s four penalties scored at the World Cup is a record, shared with four other players, including Eusebio and Gabriel Batistuta.

Mbappe has netted two spot-kicks during hisWorld Cup career. However, his 16 goals from open play make the Frenchman the joint-leading non-penalty scorer in World Cup history, alongside German goal-getter Miroslav Klose. The latter saw his all-time goal record snatched this summer, but has no penalties to his name.

Ronaldo Nazario (14), Just Fontaine (13). and Gerd Muller (13) complete the top five.

The top scorers in World Cup history excluding penalties

=1. Kylian Mbappe – France (16)

=1. Miroslav Klose – Germany (16)

3. Lionel Messi – Argentina (15)