Ronaldo Nazario has voiced strong support for Lionel Messi in the discussion surrounding the all-time FIFA World Cup goalscoring record, stating that the Argentine forward is the ideal figure to hold the milestone outright. The Brazilian legend emphasized that records in soccer are meant to be broken, and highlighted Messi’s place in the sport’s history during remarks shared via an interview on Corta on X.
“If someone deserves to pass that goals record and hold the title of all-time top scorer in World Cups, I think Messi is the perfect guy to be there,” Ronaldo Nazario said. “I’ve answered this several times because when… what is the German called? Klose. When Klose passed me, I said these are numbers or statistics and records are made to be broken. There is no record that will stay forever.”
Messi currently sits at 16 World Cup goals, tied with Germany’s Miroslav Klose at the top of the all-time scoring chart. His tally has been built across five editions of the tournament, from his debut in 2006 through to the ongoing 2026 World Cup, where Messi has added three goals to his record.
Why Ronaldo Nazario believes Messi fits the record
Nazario’s comments underline a broader respect for longevity and consistency at the highest level. Having previously held the World Cup scoring record himself, the Brazilian accepted the evolution of the milestone when Klose surpassed him, framing it as a natural progression of the sport.
Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images
How the World Cup all-time scoring race stands
Beyond individual milestones, the all‑time FIFA World Cup scoring list offers a snapshot of soccer’s most prolific finishers.
| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | 16 |
| 1 | Miroslav Klose | 16 |
| 3 | Ronaldo Nazario | 15 |
| 4 | Kylian Mbappe | 14 |
| 4 | Gerd Müller | 14 |
| 6 | Just Fontaine | 13 |
| 7 | Pelé | 12 |
| 8 | Jürgen Klinsmann | 11 |
| 8 | Sándor Kocsis | 11 |
With the 2026 World Cup still in progress, the standings remain fluid, and further goals could reshape the hierarchy before the tournament concludes, especially with Lionel Messi still actively leading Argentina’s campaign and continuing to add to his historic scoring record in the competition.
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