World Cup’s longest scoring runs
This is the updated ranking of the longest scoring streaks by players in World Cup history.
In the 2026 edition, Lionel Messi extended the record for such a streak by three games—from six to nine.
His streak is so extraordinary that it is unlikely to be matched by anyone in the foreseeable future.
| WORLD CUP | LONGEST | SCORING | RUNS | ||
| Player | Country | Games | From | To | |
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 9 | 03/12/2022 | 07/07/2026 |
| 2 | Just Fontaine | France | 6 | 08/06/1958 | 28/06/1958 |
| 3 | Jairzinho | Brazil | 6 | 03/06/1970 | 21/06/1970 |
| 4 | Leônidas | Brazil | 5 | 27/05/1934 | 19/06/1938 |
| 5 | György Sárosi | Hungary | 5 | 31/05/1934 | 19/06/1938 |
| 6 | Helmut Rahn | Germany | 5 | 04/07/1954 | 19/06/1958 |
| 7 | Lájos Tichy | Hungary | 5 | 12/06/1958 | 03/06/1962 |
| 8 | Eusébio | Portugal | 5 | 16/07/1966 | 28/07/1966 |
| 9 | Gerd Müller | Germany | 5 | 03/06/1970 | 17/06/1970 |
| 10 | Teófilo Cubillas | Peru | 5 | 02/06/1970 | 03/06/1978 |
| 11 | Careca | Brazil | 5 | 06/06/1986 | 10/06/1990 |
| 12 | Salvatore Schillaci | Italy | 5 | 19/06/1990 | 07/07/1990 |
| 13 | Hristo Stoichkov | Bulgaria | 5 | 26/06/1994 | 13/07/1994 |
| 14 | James Rodríguez | Colombia | 5 | 14/06/2014 | 04/07/2014 |