The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) listed the players who scored the most goals in major competitions for national teams, Report informs.
With a brace in the 2022 World Cup final, Lionel Messi has scored 26 goals in major international tournaments for Argentina (13 in World Cup, 13 in Copa América).
He surpassed Ronaldo who held the world record in this category before him with 25 goals.
IFFHS also published for the first time the all-time global ranking for goal-scorers in major competitions for national teams (World Cups and continental championships).
| TOP GOAL | SCORERS IN | WORLD CUP | |||||
| AND CONTINENTAL | CHAMPIONSHIPS | COMBINED | |||||
| Player | Country | Confederation | Goals | Total | NT Career | ||
| World | Cont. | ||||||
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | UEFA | 13 | 13 | 26 | 2005- |
| 2 | Ronaldo | Brazil | CONMEBOL | 15 | 10 | 25 | 1994-2011 |
| 3 | Gabriel Batistuta | Argentina | CONMEBOL | 10 | 13 | 23 | 1991-2002 |
| 4 | Landon Donovan | USA | CONCACAF | 5 | 18 | 23 | 2000-2014 |
| 5 | Ademir | Brazil | CONMEBOL | 9 | 13 | 22 | 1945-1953 |
| 6 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | UEFA | 8 | 14 | 22 | 2003- |
| 7 | Samuel Eto'o | Cameroon | CAF | 3 | 18 | 21 | 1997-2014 |
| 8 | Pelé | Brazil | CONMEBOL | 12 | 8 | 20 | 1957-1971 |
| 9 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | UEFA | 16 | 3 | 19 | 2001-2014 |
| 10 | Zizinho | Brazil | CONMEBOL | 2 | 17 | 19 | 1942-1957 |
| 11 | Gerd Müller | Germany | UEFA | 14 | 4 | 18 | 1966-1974 |