It is well known by now that Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are locked in a battle for the ages at this World Cup , with both finalists from the previous tournament going toe-to-toe to stake their claim as the competition's all-time top goalscorer. But what about the players with the most goals and assists combined?
That, of course, is a question not many can answer, with so many stars capable of offering the best of both worlds in attack - either leading the line as a talisman or creating golden opportunities for their teammates in a selfless bid to drive their country towards World Cup glory. Mbappe and Messi naturally still feature, but the rest of the list is anyone's guess.
Below are the players who have gone above and beyond in the final third, separating the complete forwards from the pure goalscorers and proving that the biggest impact is not always measured by goals alone.
Players With Most Goal Contributions At World Cup Since 1998
10. Rivaldo - 11 (Goals: 8 | Assists: 3)
Rivaldo is one of ten players to have won the World Cup, the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or , and is widely regarded as one of the greatest Brazil players of all time. He only played in two World Cups in the timeline these stats account for, which is an outstanding indictment of just how good he was in his pomp.
9. Neymar - 12 (Goals: 9 | Assists: 3)
From one brilliant Brazilian to another, Neymar may get a bit of a bad rap nowadays because of his woeful injury record, but the tricky winger never let his country down when fit. A story of 'what could have been' as he never realised his Ballon d'Or potential, the former Barcelona star has still had an exceptional career.
8. Ivan Perisic - 13 (Goals: 7 | Assists: 6)
Instrumental to Croatia's second golden generation, the Split-born Ivan Perisic is the player with the most goal contributions at major tournaments with 18 involvements for the Balkan nation. Of those, 13 came during World Cups, with him being an inventive part of the team that reached the 2018 World Cup final.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo - 13 (Goals: 11 | Assists: 2)
There's no denying that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time - after all, he is football's top goalscorer, and is bound to stay at the top of that pedestal for a long, long time. But what limits him on this list is that he has the lowest assist tally, with the former Real Madrid icon clearly a little selfish in nature compared to his rivals.
6. Thomas Muller - 16 (Goals: 10 | Assists: 6)
Thomas Muller concluded his spectacular international career with 131 caps and 45 goals, having been the Golden Boot winner in the 2010 World Cup and a key figure in Germany's 2014 triumph. A reliable, all-action attacking midfielder, he's the kind of player the modern day Die Mannschaft are missing in their pursuit of renewed glory.
5. Harry Kane - 18 (Goals: 14 | Assists: 4)
There's every reason to believe Harry Kane might just be England's greatest-ever player. The Bayern Munich man is a goal machine of the highest order, and the only thing he's missing is captaining the Three Lions to their second star. If anyone's going to do it, it's almost certainly the country's all-time record goalscorer.
Despite being the competition's top goalscorer, Lionel Messi isn't as prolific in the knockout stages.
4. Ronaldo - 19 (Goals: 15 | Assists: 4)
With eight goal contributions in the 1998 World Cup before an injury ruled him out of the final, then a further eight goals to win both the Golden Boot and the title four years later, how good Ronaldo would have been without fitness issues will forever remain one of football's biggest mysteries. He won two Ballon d'Or mantles, and that's almost solely down to his international superstardom.
3. Miroslav Klose - 20 goals (Goals: 16 | Assists: 4)
Before the 2026 edition, Miroslav Klose held the record for the most World Cup goals. "Give him the ball, and he will do the rest" has never quite matched a player's traits than it does with the German legend, whose movement and clinical edge were a sight to behold on the world stage.
2. Kylian Mbappe - 26 (Goals: 20 | Assists: 6)
With age on his side (he's 27), Kylian Mbappe should be determined to one day top this list, perhaps even by a runaway margin. His record at World Cups is just phenomenal, having won it in 2018, scored a hat-trick in the final in 2022, and is now well in the mix for a Golden Boot this year. He's the current Ballon d'Or favourite as a result.
1. Lionel Messi - 30 (Goals: 21 | Assists: 9)
Mr inevitable. Lionel Messi has the most goals on this list, as well as the most assists, with him single-handedly supercharging Argentina's triumph at the last World Cup. This time around, the landscape has barely changed, with only two of his nation's goals not being as a result of his contribution.
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt & PopFoot (correct as of 11/07/2026)
Transfer News & Rumours
Transfer News & Rumours