What players have scored the most goals in the history of qualifying for the World Cup?
The path to the final phase of the 2026 World Cup is indeed started. By including the three host countries-the United States, Mexico and Canada-18 nations have already reserved their place for the flagship event next summer.
The tournament, organized for the very first time in three countries, is, literally, the largest to date. Forty-eight teams will compete to win the largest football reward against 32 teams during the 2022 edition in Qatar.
The complete list of qualified teams will only be known when the interconfedérance dams decide the last two places in March. However, the draw will take place a few months earlier, on December 5, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Thus, with 30 places still to be won and before the next international round, 101GREATGOALS looks at the best scorers of male qualifications for the World Cup.
Who is at the top of the list?
= 1st) Carlos Ruiz (39 goals in 47 appearances)
In fact, two players are currently sharing first place. And even if it is probably fair to say that in terms of football, Guatemala does not often appear in good place on many lists, it counts in the person of Carlos Ruiz a player whose record for goals in qualifying for the World Cup has not yet been improved.
Nicknamed “the fish”, Ruiz has scored an impressive number of 39 goals in just 47 qualification matches for the World Cup. He retired from international football twice to return shortly after and also represented his country at the 2000 world championships.
He spent a large part of his club career in the MLS and represented Guatemala during five qualification campaigns for the different World Cup from 2002 to 2018, although they never reached the final.
= 1st) Cristiano Ronaldo (39 goals in 49 appearances)
From a relatively unknown to Ruiz to perhaps the most recognizable football player in the world, it is not surprising to see the name of Cristiano Ronaldo appear at the top of any list of goals.
And if the 40 -year -old, who has 141 goals in 223 matches with Portugal, finds the net against Ireland or Hungary over the next seven days, he will become the record holder.
And few people might regret that this distinction is attributed to a player with such dynamism and such relentlessness in the pursuit of grandeur. If Portugal manages to qualify for the final phase next summer, it will surely be Ronaldo’s last chance to win the final football prize.
3rd) Lionel Messi (36 goals in 72 appearances)
It may be completely appropriate for any list in which Ronaldo is, Lionel Messi is also, given the apparently symbiotic association of the duo. But even if Argentina, title holder, has already reserved its place for the 2026 World Cup, questions remain as to whether its greatest player of all time will be on the plane.
However, Messi’s assessment during qualifications for the World Cup – one goal both – is generally impressive. The Inter Miami player, still as strong at 38, has 32 goals and 17 assists in all club competitions this season, and is tied with the Norwegian Erling Haaland and Jordan Ayew of Ghana for the greatest number of goals during qualifications for the 2026 World Cup so far with 11.
4th) Ali Daei (35 goals in 51 appearances)
For a long time, Iranian Ali Daei was leading the list of male scorers of all time in international football. In 2004, he became the first male player to reach 100 international goals and remained among the 50 most capped players.
It is therefore not really a shock to see his name appearing prominently on the list of qualifications for the World Cup. Daei played two World Cup finals with Iran in 1998 and 2006, but failed to find the net in none of the two tournaments.
5th) Robert Lewandowski (32 goals in 41 appearances)
In a club, Robert Lewandowski has scored goals wherever he went. It therefore seems logical that an as prolific scorer extends this return to the international scene.
He is by far the top scorer of the Polish male team of all time, having marked almost twice as much as the player occupying second place, and his total during the qualifications for the World Cup is a decent reading.
The importance of the 37 -year -old player is such that when he announced earlier this year that he would not play for his country until the coach Michal Probierz was in charge after being removed from his post as captain, Probierz quickly resigned from his post a few days later.
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