
Pele and Lionel Messi share the World Cup’s goal-contribution record at 21. The Brazilian registered 12 goals and nine assists, while the Argentinian has scored 13 and set up eight. They are followed on the goal-involvements’ list by Miroslav Klose (19), Ronaldo (19) and Gerd Muller (18).
Pele recorded 10 goal involvements to help Brazil conquer Mexico 1970. No man has managed more since, with Diego Maradona and Kylian Mbappe managing the same total at Mexico 1986 and Qatar 2022 respectively. Messi is the only player to register an assist in five World Cups. His closest challengers are Pele, Grzegorz Lato, Maradona and David Beckham, who set up goals in three editions apiece.
The World Cup records Lionel Messi owns and is chasing A tribute to Pele