Best goals of the World Cup: The 50 best goals of the tournament so far

In the biggest edition of the World Cup yet, we’ve already seen more goals than ever before – and we’ve already witnessed bangers and golazos as we’re in the round of 16. Lionel Messi continued to do what he does best and make history, but several other superstars have already stepped forward as well. Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland already have multiple braces, while Ousmane Dembélé scored a hat-trick in France’s final group match. But which goals have been the best so far at the 2026 FIFA World Cup? We’re here to let you know which lenses are the best of the best. 1. Cabral keeps Cape Verde’s bid against Argentina alive There are golazos, and then there are golazos who almost transcend sport. With Cape Verde needing another goal to tie their Round of 16 match against Argentina, Sidny Lopes Cabral scored a goal that football fans will probably remember for the entirety of time. In the 103rd minute, Cabral went end to end and scored a goal in the first baskets from the opposite edge of the area. Cabral’s goal tied the match, but Argentina took the lead in the second overtime and eventually defeated Cape Verde. Still, Cabral’s goal should stand the test of time, as it nearly sparked one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. 2. Andreas Schjelderup Golazo puts England on watch Norway’s best goal on this list isn’t Erling Haaland’s, which shows how special Andreas Schjelderup’s goal against England was. In the 36th minute, Schjelderup ran along the left side of the box before firing a shot. Schjelderup’s placement was about as perfect as it gets, putting him in front to beat England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. 3. Haaland scores second home goal in upset win over Brazil Erling Haaland has already scored a handful of memorable goals in his first World Cup, but the one he scored to complete the double against Brazil was his best yet. The Manchester City star used his strength to give Norway a well-deserved second goal, scoring from outside the box without any momentum. Haaland’s goal was his seventh of the tournament, moving him into a tie for first place in the Golden Boot race at the end of Sunday’s match – and he missed a group match. 4. Nusa curler stuns Ivory Coast Ivory Coast vs Norway was one of the best round of 16 clashes for die-hard football fans, and the opening goal was worth it. Martin Ødegaard passed the ball to Antonio Nusa on the left wing, and the RB Leipzig playmaker tackled two defenders before cutting in with his right foot and delivering a fine finish just inside the far post. It was the kind of goal that we had not yet seen in the tournament that started the match. 5. Diallo’s incredible control equalizes Amad Diallo has thrived so far at the World Cup, scoring two big goals off the bench for Ivory Coast. His second was one of the best of the tournament. The Manchester United winger played a clever one-two with Nicolas Pépé which saw him charge towards Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland. Diallo made a smart touch to put the ball back on his left foot before sending it into the far corner. It was a huge goal for Ivory Coast, but ultimately it couldn’t influence the result. 6. Messi stuns KC with incredible finish On a night where Lionel Messi scored three astonishing goals (his first ever World Cup hat trick), the first stood out the most. Algeria gave Messi too much space in midfield, and he made them pay. The Argentine captain and superstar scored a magical goal to open his account at the 2026 World Cup. Messi collected the ball in midfield and was able to turn towards goal. He dribbled forward, put the ball on his left foot and placed the ball into the top corner. It was a magical moment from Messi, who had a goal disallowed for offside in the opening minutes of the match. Two more goals followed, but that set up what would be an unforgettable night in Kansas City. 7. Mbappé makes French history in style After tying the record for the most goals in the history of the French men’s team, Kylian Mbappé set a new mark in style. Mbappé recovered the ball after a foul on Michael Olise, but the referee gave the advantage. From there, he fired a laser past Senegalese goalkeeper Édouard Mendy for a record goal. It also marked France’s victory against a quality Senegalese team. 8. Ayari’s laser gives Sweden the lead Sweden scored in the seventh minute in their World Cup opener thanks to midfielder Yasin Ayari, who fired a shot from just outside the top of the penalty area. His first of two goals against Tunisia was a punch that barely moved in the air. He went around the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. 9. Mbappé dazzles against Sweden Viktor Gyokeres found himself one-on-one inside the box against Mbappé, who completed a pass then finished a solo effort that gave France the lead over Sweden. It was another impressive goal for the French captain, who follows Messi in the race for the most goals in World Cup history. 10. More Mbappé magic Kylian Mbappé added another goal to that list in France’s 2-0 win over Morocco in the quarter-finals. He broke the scoreless tie in the 60th minute by firing a shot from the end of the area. Not only did Mbappé score from the edge of the box, but he also slipped the ball around a Moroccan defender before beating an outstretched Bono. The goal was also Mbappé’s 20th World Cup goal, bringing him closer to Lionel Messi’s record at the time. He tied with Messi for the most non-penalty goals (17) scored in World Cup history. 11. Folarin Balogun tops the scoreboard against Paraguay Balogun’s coming out party took place on June 12 at Los Angeles Stadium against Paraguay, and his second goal of the match for the United States was the icing on the cake. The AS Monaco striker delivered a dominant first half, imposing his will on the Paraguayan defense. He had already scored when midfielder Malik Tillman put him through on goal. He pushed aside one defender, dribbled past another, then used his weaker left foot to perfectly place a shot into the top corner. 12. Kane stunner beats DR Congo The time is coming, the man is coming. When England needed a goal, their captain and all-time leading scorer stepped up. Anthony Gordon passed the ball to Kane, who was out of goal position near the top of the penalty area when he gained possession. From there, he dribbled to the right, created space and unleashed a vicious shot that beat DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi. 13. Tillman scores on fabulous free kick The United States was in danger of losing its 1-0 lead against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 16 until Malik Tillman scored one of the goals of the tournament. More than 10 minutes after Folarin Balogun was sent off for a red card, Tillman gave the United States a well-deserved goal by scoring on a free kick from outside the box. Not only did Tillman get enough air and lean on the shot to send it past the wall, but he also weaved close enough between the Bosnia and Herzegovina goalkeeper and the post to slot it into the net as the United States took a 2-0 lead. 14. Haiti’s Isidor scores on Absolute Screamer Haiti was only playing out of pride against Morocco, but that doesn’t mean their goals should count for less. Wilson Isidor scored one of the best goals of the group when his strike from outside the box found the back of the net, firing perfectly into the top left corner of the net to give Haiti a 2-1 lead over Morocco at the time. 15. Dembélé on target It took Ousmane Dembélé just 20 minutes to score a brace in France’s victory over Norway, his left-footed shot from outside the box finding the net. It was the type of goal that showed the PSG star’s previous woes at international level might be behind him, as he recorded a pretty impressive shot en route to a hat-trick. 16. Shomurodov scores a goal Eldor Shomurodov found an ambitious way to score in the 10th minute of Uzbekistan’s match against DR Congo. He managed to get the ball back into the box after a good run, placing his left foot on it and somehow elevating it above the pursuing defender. The ball also stayed in the air for a few seconds, going beyond the reach of the DR Congo goalkeeper to give his team a 1-0 lead. 17. Muñoz produces acrobatic finish Colombia dominated Uzbekistan for 39 minutes, but it took a moment of brilliance to finally break through against a stingy defense. Colombian star Luis Díaz made a superb pass upfield while right-back Daniel Muñoz made a run into the Uzbekistan box. Muñoz, who plays for Crystal Palace, needed just one touch to use the momentum of the pass and blast past Uzbek goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov. 18. Elanga’s banger keeps Sweden alive Sweden lost 1-0 to Japan, a result which would have left their fate in the round of 16 uncertain. Enter, Anthony Elanga. The Swedish winger collected the ball on the right wing and curled a beauty to the far post with his weaker foot. It was a potentially huge goal. 19. Sano sends it in to give Japan the lead against Brazil Japan failed to upset Brazil in the round of 16, but gave them a scare thanks to Kaishū Sano. In the 29th minute, Sano weaved his way through the Brazilian defense before unleashing his shot as he fell from outside the box. The goal gave Japan a 1-0 lead, which they held for much of the match. 20. Alajbegovic’s Bosnian banger Kerim Alajbegovic stepped up when his country needed him against Qatar on matchday three. The 18-year-old striker, who plays for his club RB Salzburg in Austria, caught a pass from midfielder Ivan Basic. He dribbled past a Qatar defender, then unleashed an impressive strike from 25 yards that beat goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada. 21. Gio Reyna scores victory with Trivela The exclamation point at the end of the United States’ victory over Paraguay came from Reyna, who showcased his impressive technique in the final minute of the match. Reyna, a source of controversy during the 2022 World Cup, came on in the 82nd minute to replace Tillman. The United States was holding onto the ball while ensuring victory against Paraguay when the ball moved up the field to the right wing. Alex Freeman fed the ball to Reyna for what was the offense’s 26th pass, and Gio hammered it with the outside of his right foot. 22. Quiñones ignites Mexico against Ecuador Julián Quiñones timed his run perfectly to collect Roberto Alvarado’s pass. He entered the penalty area, cut with the ball on his right foot and fired a screamer into the top corner of the near post. This sent the Mexico City stadium into a frenzy. 23. Free kick from Lo Celso Golazo No Lionel Messi? No problem. Giovani Lo Celso buried the free kick outside the surf this during the first half of Argentina’s match against Jordan as Messi watched from the bench. 24. Hey Jude, let’s equalize against Norway Minutes after Andreas Schjelderup’s golazo gave Norway a 1-0 lead in their quarter-final match against England, Jude Bellingham himself helped level the match with an exceptional score. During stoppage time in the first half of the match, Bellingham scored by falling and shooting with his weak foot. 25. Take the ball on the corner and score Rafik Belghali scored one of the goals of the tournament by winning a ball on the corner before weaving through the Austrian defense and firing in a shot that helped Algeria level their match against Austria. 26. Nmecha combines with Wirtz for a brilliant goal The Germans opened their account quickly against Curaçao, to no one’s surprise. One of the best teams in the group against the smallest country in the tournament was always going to be a mismatch, and it only took Germany six minutes to take the lead. Midfielder Félix Nmecha collected the ball just outside the penalty area on the left side of the field. He passed to star Florian Wirtz – among the top 25 players in our World Cup Top 100 rankings – who pushed away a clever pass to Nmecha. The Borussia Dortmund man completed a clever double with a fine curling finish. 27. Hwang equalizes in style South Korea controlled their opening match against Czechia, but found themselves trailing in the second half after the Czechs took a first-half lead. Hwang In-beom was all over the pitch in this match, but his equalizing goal really stood out. He was introduced into the penalty area by PSG midfielder Kang-In Lee, then he stopped in no time, put the ball on his right foot and chipped Czech goalkeeper Matěj Kovář. It was a brilliant goal that the Koreans badly needed. 28. Mbappé releases Golazo with his left foot Earlier Monday, June 22, Lionel Messi scored twice to reach 18 World Cup goals, a record ever achieved. It took hours for Kylian Mbappé to respond. Michael Olise dragged the France captain down the right wing, and Mbappé put the ball on his weaker foot and hit it brilliantly into the back of the net. It was Mbappe’s 15th World Cup goal, indicating he won’t stop chasing Messi and may take the lead one day. 29. Poignant goal for Canada Canada’s fourth goal in its 6-0 win over Qatar proved to be an emotional one for all those gathered in Vancouver, as it came just moments after Ismael Kone was forced off the field with a serious leg injury. Nathan Saliba, who replaced Canada for Kone, fired a bent free kick that landed just inside the woodwork in front of the Qatar keeper. Instead of a usual celebration, Saliba held up his teammate’s jersey in what will be a lasting image of Canada’s run to the World Cup. 30. Dembélé hesitates and scores against Norway Ousmane Dembélé’s first goal during his hat trick against Norway was also quite impressive. The French star took down a Norwegian defender along the edge of the box before firing in to give his side an early 1-0 lead. 31. Papa Gueye With An Absolute Banger Gueye came on as a substitute in the second half of Senegal’s win over Iraq and scored one of the best goals of the group stage a few minutes later. He scored on an impressive strike from outside the box, finding the top shelf as he bent the ball perfectly to score. 32. Vinícius Júnior delivers Golazo against Morocco The Real Madrid star came into this tournament knowing he had to be at his best for Brazil. After Morocco took the lead in the first half, they stepped up their efforts. Vini Jr. collected the ball near the sideline after a pass from midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. He cut inside onto his favored right foot and almost put the ball through the net with his finish. 33. Dembélé scores a Hat Trick against Norway Congratulations, Ousmane Dembélé. Not only did you score a hat trick in France’s win over Norway, but your three goals also ranked high on this list. His hat trick came in the first half, which makes it even more impressive. 34. Jiménez doubles Mexico’s lead Raúl Jiménez, Mexico’s attacking leader, collected the ball at the top of the penalty area and fired a fantastic strike into the top corner. This impressively doubled Mexico’s lead and the score allowed the host nation to advance. 35. What a volley! Mahmić buries first goal Ermin Mahmić wasted no time in making his presence felt in Bosnia and Herzegovina, even with his team down a player and several goals. Moments after coming on, the substitute volleyed past Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who had sent the ball straight into Mahmić’s wheelhouse. Even in Bosnia’s final defeat, it was one of the best moments of the match. 36. Ashour’s thunderous strike gives Egypt lead Egypt started their first match of the tournament against Belgium as big underdogs, but they quickly took the lead thanks to a fantastic strike from Emam Ashour. Ashour, who plays for Al Ahly SC in Egypt, received a pass from birthday boy and Egyptian captain Mohamed Salah about 25 meters from goal. Then he unleashed a powerful strike that flew past world-class goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. 37. Enzo completes Argentina’s comeback against Egypt We had to include one of the goals from Argentina’s stunning victory on this list, didn’t we? Argentina came back from a 2–0 deficit in the final 20 minutes of their match against Egypt in the quarter-finals, with Enzo Fernández scoring the winner in added time. Fernández’s header was very impressive, placing the ball where Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir could not save it even if he tried. This goal also marked the 3,000th goal in World Cup history. 38. Baturina equalizes in style against England After falling behind due to a Harry Kane penalty, Croatia progressed very well in their match against England and were rewarded. A long ball was played to Petar Sucic, who passed the ball to Martin Baturina. Baturina produced a superb strike which England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford could only get his hands on. 39. Haaland heads home goal to open score against Brazil Erling Haaland broke the deadlock in Norway’s 2-1 win over Brazil in the 79th minute when he headed in a cross, dominating Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhães to win the challenge. After that, Haaland was able to head the ball into a narrow window between Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker and the post. 40. Cape Verde’s first ever World Cup goal Uruguay conceded a free kick at least 30 yards from goal, and it didn’t look like Kevin Pina was going to go for the goal from that distance. Instead, Uruguay placed just two players in the wall, who separated and let Pina’s shot go straight into the back of the net. It was a shocking moment in Miami but a brilliant success from Pina. 41. Promising goal for Canada Canada fell a goal short before forcing a draw against Switzerland to win Group B, but Promise David’s goal in the second half of that match almost helped the Reds win the group. He managed to get his foot out and connect on a difficult cross for a Canadian goal. 42. Jordan shocks Austria with fantastic goal Austrian midfielder Xavier Schlager lost the ball in midfield and Jordan immediately launched a counterattack. Noor Al-Rawabdeh fed winger Ali Iyad Olwan on the left wing, and he dribbled the ball 50 yards into the penalty area before scoring a fantastic goal at the far post. It was a fantastic way for Jordan to score their first ever World Cup goal. 43. Saibari breaks through the Brazilian defense Morocco scored a brilliant goal to open the scoring in their star-studded match against Brazil. Real Madrid playmaker Brahim Diaz collected the ball and found Ismael Saibari between Brazilian central defenders Gabriel and Marquinhos, two of the best defenders in world football. From his first touch, the Moroccan striker lifted the ball above Alisson, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, for a brilliantly executed first goal. 44. Messi. Hat trick. Greatness. The goal is quintessential Messi – collecting at the top of the box, a quick move to the left and letting it rip – but its meaning is what stands out. Messi doesn’t have many more “firsts” in him, but this goal gave him three on the night for his first World Cup hat trick. With 16 goals in his sixth appearance at the tournament, he tied German legend Miroslav Klose for the most goals ever scored at the men’s World Cup. 45. Austria heads to knockout stage Austria scored a goal at the buzzer to tie their match against Algeria, scoring a much-needed goal to help them advance. The score was the result of two headers, with Sasa Kalajdzic scoring Austria’s goal. 46. ​​Nakamura equalizes against the Dutch 1-0 after Virgil van Dijk put the Netherlands ahead, Keito Nakamura stepped in with a massive goal for Japan. And what a success it was. Nakamura collected the ball just inside the penalty area, controlled it then fired an impressive right-footed shot past Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. The most impressive thing was that Nakamura’s momentum went away from the goal when he hit the ball. 47. Messi makes World Cup history After missing a ninth-minute penalty against Austria, it looked like it might not be Messi’s day. He only needs one goal to overtake Miroslav Klose and become the all-time top scorer at the World Cup. Instead, about 30 minutes later, he scored a classic Messi goal. Facundo Medina was on the left wing and played a low cross near the penalty box. Messi was there, ready to pounce, and fired a fantastic left-footed shot that beat Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. 48. Maeda completes a brilliant team move Ritsu Doan played a one-two in midfield, then found Daizen Maeda on goal. It was a superb team move that allowed Japan to take the lead against Sweden. 49. Ayari scores his second Banger against Tunisia Yasin Ayari, have a day. The Brighton midfielder and Swedish national star scored two goals, the second of which led commentator Maurice Edu to proclaim: “Bangers only.” Ayari could have represented Tunisia internationally, since his father is from the country. What an opportunity for him to score twice. 50. Ueda delivers a good shot against Tunisia Tunisia didn’t have much luck on Saturday night against Japan, especially if Ayase Ueda wants to score goals like he did. Ueda fired a cracker from outside the area which gave Tunisian goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen no chance.