Edited by the news summary team. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by three countries, will feature 48 teams for the first time and will include 104 matches. Lionel Messi of Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal are set to make history by participating in their sixth World Cup. Germany’s Miroslav Klose holds the record for the most goals scored (16) and most matches won (17) in World Cup history, records that Messi could potentially surpass in the upcoming tournament. Kathmandu, June 2.
Several records have already been established ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As the biggest festival of football globally, this tournament is set to become the largest ever held. It marks the first time three nations will jointly host the event, with 48 teams participating and 104 matches scheduled—the greatest number of matches in World Cup history. As the competition unfolds, new records are also anticipated.
For example, Mexico’s Azteca Stadium will become the first stadium to host the World Cup three times, making Mexico the first country to host the tournament thrice. In addition, various other records could be set throughout the duration of the World Cup. Below is a discussion of five records that have a high possibility of being broken during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Most Goals Scored: With the increased number of teams and matches, there is a significant chance that the record for most goals scored in a World Cup could be surpassed. The Qatar World Cup featured 64 matches and 172 goals, while the 2026 edition will feature 104 matches. The average goals per game in Qatar was 2.69. With 40 additional games, the total goal count could exceed 200.
- Most World Cup Appearances: In its 96-year history, many players have competed in the World Cup, and playing in multiple tournaments consecutively is a major milestone. To date, five male players have appeared in five World Cups: Mexico’s Antonio Carbajal and Rafael Marquez, Germany’s Lothar Matthäus, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi and Ronaldo are both aiming to participate in their sixth World Cup in 2026. Messi won the World Cup in 2022, while this will likely be Ronaldo’s final opportunity. Both have contributed goals and assists over the years and are poised to make history by playing in a sixth tournament.
- Top Goal Scorer Record: The record for most goals scored in World Cup history is held by Germany’s Miroslav Klose with 16 goals. Argentina’s Messi and France’s Kylian Mbappé are challenging this record. Messi has scored 13 goals so far and could surpass Klose if he scores four more in 2026. Mbappé has scored 12 goals across two tournaments—four in 2018 and eight in 2022, where he also won the Golden Boot and scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina.
- Most Matches Won by a Player: Miroslav Klose also holds the record for most World Cup match wins as a player, with 17 victories. Messi has won 16 matches and will equal Klose’s record with just one win in 2026. Winning two games would make Messi the player with the most World Cup match wins. Messi has already set the record for most matches played in World Cups and aims to cement his legacy by scoring many goals and winning more matches.
- Most Matches Won as a Coach: The record for most World Cup wins by a coach is held by West Germany’s Helmut Schön, who won 16 matches. France’s Didier Deschamps is close to breaking this record. Deschamps led France to victory in 2018 and has 14 wins as a coach to date. If France wins two matches in 2026, Deschamps will tie Schön’s record, and winning three matches would make him the coach with the most World Cup wins in history.
