Every player dreams of scoring a goal at a World Cup, and for those who do it is often a highlight of the player’s career.
Whilst some players only put the ball in the back of the net once at a World Cup, others are lucky enough to become known for their prowess for scoring on the biggest stage of all.
Some of those players are expected to be performing in Australia and New Zealand at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, hoping to lead their countries to victory and a World Cup trophy.
MORE: Complete 2023 Women’s World Cup match schedule
The Sporting News looks at which players have scored the most goals on the World Cup stage.
Women’s World Cup top scorers all-time
Brazil’s Marta has scored the most goals in World Cup history, with 17 in 20 World Cup matches, starting at the 2007 World Cup where Brazil lost in the final to Germany.
Marta’s record is the highest at the World Cup for both men and women, which is a phenomenal record to hold.
Two players sit behind her, with USA’s Abby Wambach and Germany’s Birgit Prinz each scoring 14 goals at the World Cup. Prinz has the most non-penalty goals in World Cup history.
American striker Michelle Akers sits in fourth on the all-time list with 12 goals over two tournaments, while Brazilian Cristiane, China’s Sun Wen and Germany’s Bettina Wiegmann each scored 11 goals for their country at the World Cup.
Though Cristiane is still active, she will not get a chance to increase her total in 2023 after being left out of Brazil’s squad.
| Player | Country | Goals | Matches | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marta* | Brazil | 17 | 20 | 2007-2019 |
| Birgit Prinz | Germany | 14 | 24 | 1995-2007 |
| Abby Wambach | USA | 14 | 25 | 2003-2015 |
| Michelle Akers | USA | 12 | 13 | 1991, 1999 |
| Cristiane | Brazil | 11 | 21 | 2007-2019 |
| Sun Wen | China | 11 | 20 | 1991-2003 |
| Bettina Wiegmann | Germany | 11 | 22 | 1991-2003 |
| Ann-Kristin Aarones | Norway | 10 | 11 | 1995-1999 |
| Carli Lloyd | USA | 10 | 25 | 2011-2019 |
| Heidi Mohr | Germany | 10 | 12 | 1991-1995 |
| Christine Sinclair* | Canada | 10 | 21 | 2003-2019 |
*Denotes player participating in 2023 World Cup
Most goals in single Women’s World Cup
The record for the most goals at a single World Cup is currently held by Michelle Akers, who scored 10 of her 12 World Cup goals at the inaugural 1991 tournament the USA would end up winning.
Sun Wen and Brazil’s Sissi scored seven goals each at the 1999 tournament, whilst Birgit Pirinz and Marta top scored in 2003 and 2007, respectively, with seven goals.
At the last World Cup in 2019, Megan Rapinoe was the Golden Boot winner, scoring six goals as she helped the USA win their second tournament in a row.
| World Cup | Player | Country | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Michelle Akers | USA | 10 |
| 1991 | Heidi Mohr | Germany | 7 |
| 1999 | Sun Wen | China | 7 |
| 1999 | Sissi | Brazil | 7 |
| 2003 | Birgit Prinz | Germany | 7 |
| 2007 | Marta | Brazil | 7 |
