Mbappe equals Ronaldo "the Fat," becoming the top scorer in the World Cup knockout rounds.

Scoring at the World Cup is difficult, but scoring in the knockout rounds is infinitely more challenging. That's because in those matches, a single moment of brilliance or a small mistake can decide the fate of the entire team.

To build excitement ahead of the biggest football festival on the planet, FIFA has just released a list of the best goalscorers in history in knockout matches. This list not only reflects goal-scoring ability but also shows the resilience of these stars in the most stressful moments of world football.

The decisive goals that made legend.

Leading the list is a legendary trio consisting of the late Leonidas da Silva (Brazil), Ronaldo Nazario (Brazil), and Kylian Mbappe (France), all with 8 goals in World Cup knockout matches.

Leonidas da Silva (1913–2004) was one of the greatest strikers in Brazilian football history. He was known worldwide as the "Black Diamond" or "Rubber Man" for his speed and agility.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo "the Fat," known as "The Alien," possessed incredible speed, exceptional individual technique, fearsome goal-scoring ability, and dazzling dribbling skills. This legendary duo from the land of samba football are considered two of the most outstanding and influential strikers in football history.

Meanwhile, Mbappe is a special case because he is still playing and has every chance of claiming the top spot at the 2026 World Cup. The French star only needed 8 knockout matches to score 8 goals, a performance equal to Leonidas and surpassing many other legendary players in history.

Notably, the majority of Mbappe's goals have come from the last two World Cups, including a hat-trick against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final. This achievement makes him one of the most dangerous players whenever the tournament enters the knockout stage.

Messi still has a chance to write history.

Right behind the leading group are legends who made memorable World Cups possible, such as Just Fontaine, Pele, Vava, and Oldrich Nejedly, with 7 goals in the knockout rounds. Eusébio, Gary Lineker, and Roberto Baggio also feature among the top scorers in history.

Another notable name is Lionel Messi. The Argentina captain currently boasts 5 goals in World Cup knockout matches after 12 appearances. While not among the top scorers, the majority of Messi's goals have come at crucial moments, particularly during Argentina's 2022 World Cup winning campaign.

Besides Messi, Thomas Muller, Wesley Sneijder, Zinedine Zidane, and Miroslav Klose also have 5 goals each in the knockout rounds. These are all players who have made a significant impact in their national team's World Cup campaigns.

According to FIFA statistics, the French national team is the highest-scoring team in the knockout rounds of the World Cup over the last five tournaments with 29 goals, surpassing Germany (28 goals), Argentina (21 goals), and Brazil (20 goals). This explains why Les Bleus have consistently reached the finals of the tournament for almost two decades.

The 2026 World Cup will be an opportunity for many contemporary stars to further improve their records. However, all eyes will undoubtedly be on Mbappe. If he continues to maintain his fearsome goal-scoring form in knockout matches, the French striker could very well become the greatest knockout scorer in World Cup history.