World Cup 2018: Goalscoring records - which can be broken? Can Thomas Muller surpass Miroslav Klose?

Updated 14/05/2018 at 12:36 GMT

All the key records you need to know about for World Cup 2018 in Russia with Germany's Thomas Muller targeting the World Cup goalscoring record.

Germany's Thomas Muller celebrates after victory

Image credit: Reuters

Ahead of the huge tournament in Russia, we have taken a look at some of the key goalscoring records, and particularly those under threat this summer.

Overall top goalscorers

1 - Miroslav Klose - 16

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2 - Ronaldo - 15

3 - Gerd Muller - 14

4 - Just Fontaine - 13

5 - Pele - 12

6 - Sandor Kocsis / Jurgen Klinsmann - 11

8 - Thomas Muller / Gary Lineker / Gabriel Batistuta / Helmut Rahn / Grzegorz Lato / Teofilo Cubillas - 10

Miroslav Klose

Image credit: PA Sport

Record under threat?

Muller is just six goals away from compatriot Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals in World Cups.

It may sound like a lot, but a hat-trick in the group stage is exactly the kind of thing you would expect from the Bayern Munich forward, who has scored five goals in each of his first two tournaments.

Muller's goalscoring record is remarkable given the fact that he is not an out-and-out striker.

Golden Boot record

1 - Just Fontaine - 13

2 - Sandor Kocsis - 11

3 - Gerd Muller - 10

4 - Eusebio - 9

5 - Ronaldo / Ademir / Guillermo Stabile - 8

1958 - Just Fontaine

Image credit: Imago

Record under threat?

Absolutely not.

Fontaine's mark is likely to remain forever, unless FIFA make the World Cup so big that his 13 goals can be matched.

Most goals in a single match by a player?

Oleg Salenko scored set a World Cup record at USA '94 that still stands with his five goals in Russia's 6-1 thrashing of Cameroon.

Having scored a penalty in the previous match against Sweden, his six goals saw him share the Golden Boot with Hristo Stoichkov.

Despite having only played three games with Russia knocked out in the first round, he owns that remarkable record. He only represented Russia eight times.