1st) Carlos Ruiz – 39 goals in 47 appearances
2nd) Cristiano Ronaldo – 38 in 48
3rd) Lionel Messi – 36 in 72
4th) Ali Daei – 35 in 51
5th) Robert Lewandowski – 31 in 40
6th) Chris Wood – 29 in 31
6th) Sardar Azmoun – 29 in 41
6th) Luis Suarez – 29 in 64
9th) Karim Bagheri – 28 in 29
9th) Edin Dzeko – 28 in 40
11th) Kazu Miura – 27 in 25
12th) Ali Mabkhout – 26 in 33
12th) Andriy Shevchenko – 26 in 40
14th) Tim Cahill – 25 in 37
14th) Carlos Pavon – 25 in 37
16th) Mehdi Taremi – 24 in 44
17th) Jared Borgetti – 23 in 24
17th) Son Heungmin – 23 in 47
19th) Marcelo Martins – 22 in 64
20th) Paolo Wanchope – 21 in 37
Carlos Ruiz
Forward
39 goals in 47 games overall
0.83 goals per game on average
Breakdown
8 goals in 9 games in 2002 qualifying
10 goals in 14 games in 2006 qualifying
6 goals in 7 games in 2010 qualifying
6 goals in 7 games in 2014 qualifying
9 goals in 10 games in 2018 qualifying
Cristiano Ronaldo
Winger and forward
38 goals in 48 games overall
0.79 goals per game on average
Breakdown
7 goals in 12 games in 2006 qualifying
0 goals in 7 games in 2010 qualifying
8 goals in 10 games in 2014 qualifying
15 goals in 9 games in 2018 qualifying
6 goals in 9 games in 2022 qualifying
2 goals in 1 game in 2026 qualifying
Lionel Messi
Winger and forward
36 goals in 72 games overall
0.50 goals per game on average
Breakdown
0 goals in 3 games in 2006 qualifying
4 goals in 18 games in 2010 qualifying
10 goals in 14 games in 2014 qualifying
7 goals in 10 games in 2018 qualifying
7 goals in 15 games in 2022 qualifying
8 goals in 12 games in 2026 qualifying
Ali Daei
Forward
35 goals in 51 games overall
0.69 goals per game on average
Breakdown
7 goals in 11 games in 1994 qualifying
9 goals in 17 games in 1998 qualifying
10 goals in 13 games in 2002 qualifying
9 goals in 10 games in 2006 qualifying
Robert Lewandowski
Poland
31 goals in 40 games overall
0.78 goals per game on average
Breakdown
2 goals in 9 games in 2010 qualifying
3 goals in 9 games in 2014 qualifying
16 goals in 10 games in 2018 qualifying
9 goals in 9 games in 2022 qualifying
1 goal in 3 games in 2026 qualifying
Chris Wood
Forward
29 goals in 31 games overall
0.94 goals per game on average
Breakdown
0 goals in 2 games in 2010 qualifying
7 goals in 10 games in 2014 qualifying
8 goals in 9 games in 2018 qualifying
5 goals in 5 games in 2022 qualifying
9 goals in 5 games in 2026 qualifying
Sardar Azmoun
Forward
29 goals in 41 games overall
0.71 goals per game on average
Breakdown
11 goals in 14 games in 2018 qualifying
10 goals in 14 games in 2022 qualifying
8 goals in 13 games in 2022 qualifying
Luis Suarez
Forward
29 goals in 64 games
0.45 goals per game on average
Breakdown
5 goals in games in 19 games in 2010 qualifying
11 goals in 16 games in 2014 qualifying
5 goals in 13 games in 2018 qualifying
8 goals in 14 games in 2022 qualifying
0 goals in 2 games in 2026 qualifying
Karim Bagheri
Midfielder
28 goals in 29 games overall
0.97 goals per game on average
Breakdown
0 goals in 3 games in 1994 qualifying
19 goals in 13 games in 1998 qualifying
8 goals in 11 games in 2002 qualifying
1 goal in 2 games in 2010 qualifying
Edin Dzeko
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Forward
28 goals in 40 games overall
0.70 goals per game on average
Breakdown
9 goals in 12 games in 2010 qualifying
10 goals in 10 games in 2014 qualifying
5 goals in 9 games in 2018 qualifying
1 goals in 6 games in 2022 qualifying
3 goals in 3 games in 2026 qualifying
Kazu Miura
Forward
27 goals in 25 games overall
1.08 goals per game on average
Breakdown
13 goals in 13 games in 1994 qualifying
14 goals in 12 games in 1998 qualifying
Ali Mabkhout
Forward
26 goals in 33 games overall
0.79 goals per game on average
Breakdown
9 goals in 16 games in 2018 qualifying
14 goals in 15 games in 2022 qualifying
3 goals in 2 games in 2026 qualifying
Andriy Shevchenko
Ukraine
26 goals in 40 games overall
0.65 goals per game on average
Breakdown
4 goals in 8 games in 1998 qualifying
10 goals in 12 games in 2002 qualifying
6 goals in 9 games in 2006 qualifying
6 goals in 11 games in 2010 qualifying
Tim Cahill
Attacking midfielder and forward
25 goals in 37 games overall
0.68 goals per game on average
Breakdown
7 goals in 6 games in 2006 qualifying
4 goals in 6 games in 2010 qualifying
3 goals in 9 games in 2014 qualifying
11 goals in 16 games in 2018 qualifying
Carlos Pavon
Forward
25 goals in 37 games overall
0.68 goals per game on average
Breakdown
2 goals in 5 games in 1998 qualifying
15 goals in 17 games in 2002 qualifying
1 goals in 6 games in 2006 qualifying
7 goals in 9 games in 2010 qualifying
Mehdi Taremi
Forward
24 goals in 44 games overall
0.55 goals per game on average
Breakdown
8 goals in 16 games in 2018 qualifying
7 goals in 13 games in 2022 qualifying
9 goals in 15 games in 2026 qualifying
Jared Borgetti
Forward
23 goals in 24 games overall
0.96 goals per game on average
Breakdown
6 goals in 8 games in 2002 qualifying
14 goals in 14 games in 2006 qualifying
3 goals in 2 games in 2010 qualifying
Son Heungmin
Winger and forward
23 goals in 47 games overall
0.49 goals per game on average
Breakdown
1 goal in 9 games in 2014 qualifying
7 goals in 12 games in 2018 qualifying
5 goals in 13 games in 2022 qualifying
10 goals in 13 games in 2026 qualifying
Marcelo Martins
22 goals in 64 games
0.34 goals per game on average
Breakdown
7 goals in games in 15 games in 2010 qualifying
4 goals in 15 games in 2014 qualifying
1 goal in 12 games in 2018 qualifying
10 goals in 16 games in 2022 qualifying
0 goals in 6 games in 2026 qualifying
Paolo Wanchope
Forward
21 goals in 37 games overall
0.57 goals per game on average
Breakdown
6 goal in 10 games in 1998 qualifying
7 goals in 13 games in 2002 qualifying
8 goals in 14 games in 2006 qualifying
