Most goals in FIFA World Cup finals - Mbappe leads the list

Playing in the FIFA World Cup final is the ultimate dream of every footballer. Some of them even go a step further to score in the FIFA World Cup final and carve a niche for themselves. 

From Hector Castro’s strike in the inaugural World Cup that sealed the deal for Uruguay in 1930, to the extra time winners from Andres Iniesta and Mario Gotze recently - the FIFA World Cup finals over the years have witnessed some dramatic moments.  

England’s Geoff Hurst is the only player in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. Vava, Pele and Zinedine Zidane are the all-time joint-top scorers in World Cup finals along with Geoff Hurst with three goals each. 

In all, there have been a total of 77 goals scored by 62 different players in 21 World Cup finals. Of which, ten players have scored two or more times.

Most goals in FIFA World Cup finals

Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe announced his arrival at the global stage with a goal in the 2018 final against Croatia, and may have sealed his status as a generational legend with a hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina. He now has four goals, more than any other player at this stage. 

Geoff Hurst - three goals in 1966 FIFA World Cup final

England defeated West Germany in one of the most dramatic World Cup finals of all time, in 1966. At Wembley, in front of Queen Elizabeth II and countless English faithful, Geoff Hurst scored the only hat-trick in a World Cup final to this day. After scoring once in normal time, he returned to add two more to his tally in extra time, helping England win 4-2. 

Pele - three goals (1958, 1970)

One the greatest footballers of all time, Pele is the only player to win three World Cup titles (1958, 1962, and 1970). He scored twice against Sweden in the 1958 edition and returned to score twice in the 1970 final against Italy. The Brazilian icon went on to score 12 goals in five World Cups. 

Vava - three goals (1958, 1962)

The legendary Brazilian striker Vava holds the distinction of being the first player to score in two different World Cup finals. Alongside Pele, the former Atletico Madrid star too scored a brace against Sweden in the 1958 final and helped Brazil clinch the next title by scoring in their 3-1 win over Czechoslovakia in the 1962 World Cup final. 

Zinedine Zidane - three goals (1998, 2006)

Zinedine Zidane’s experience has done it all in World Cup finals. Zidane has scored in, won, lost and even got sent off in World Cup finals. He steered Les Bleus to their first world title with a brace against Brazil in the 1998 final and scored a penalty against Italy in 2006, which France lost on penalties. The French icon was sent off in the same match.

Gino Colaussi and Silvio Piola - two goals each in 1938 World Cup final

Gino Colaussi and Silvio Piola scored two goals each in the 1938 World Cup final for Italy against Hungary to help their side win back-to-back World Cups. Piola, Lazio’s second highest goal-scorer of all time, scored two goals in the first half whilst former Juventus stalwart Colaussi scored one in either half.

Photo Credit: Alamy