6 World Cup records that may never be broken

By Peter Ochieng

Recently, FIFA announced that Morocco, Spain and Portugal will co-host the 2030 World Cup.

It will be the 24th edition, with the first three games being held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay respectively to mark the competition’s 100th year.

The 2030 edition will be the second time for the World football bonanza to be co-hosted by three nations after the US, Canada and Mexico in 2026.

Here is a list of some amazing World Cup records that may not be broken.

1. Most titles

Brazil has won the World Cup a record 5 times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002). Germany and Italy are breathing on Brazil’s neck with 4 titles apiece, followed by Argentina 3, Uruguay and France 2 and then England and Spain 1 each.

That means only 8 teams have been crowned World Cup champions, with all of them coming from either South America or Europe.

If Italy or Germany win the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, they will only equal and not break Brazil’s record.  

2. Most appearances (team)

Brazil again, is on top of this chart.

The ‘Samba Boys’ as the national team is nicknamed have participated in all the 22 World Cup editions, from the first edition in Uruguay in 1930 to the last one in 2022, in Qatar.

Missing out on World Cup qualification is perhaps a vocabulary that does not exist in Brazil.  

3. Most appearances (player)

Argentina captain Lionel Andres Messi is the player with most World Cup tournament match appearances.

He has featured for Argentina in five editions (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022) playing a record 26 games.

German legend Lother Matheus played for Germany in 5 World cup editions, fetching 25 match appearances.

Messi’s eternal rival, Portugal captain Christiano Ronaldo has also led his national team to 5 World Cup editions, managing 22 match appearances along the way.

4. Most championships

The record is held by former Brazilian football wizard, the late Pelé. He won three World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

His compatriot Cafu, is the man with most appearances in a World Cup final. The feat was achieved in 1994, 1998 and 2002, winning the title in both 1994 and 2002.

5. Top scorer

FIFA World Cup’s all time goal scorer is Germany legend Miroslov Klose with 16 goals. He set the record during the 2014 edition in Brazil.

Incredibly, the previous record – 15 goals was held by Ronaldo, former Brazilian forward.  

Messi is ranked 4th on the top scorer’s list with 13 goals. He may break the record if he carries Argentina on his shoulders – as he has always done since 2006, if he makes the 2026 World Cup squad.

6. Most goals scored in a single tournament

Just Fontaine scored an astonishing 13 goals for France during the 1958 FIFA World Cup. No one has ever come close to him since then.

Oleg Salenko of Russia holds the record of scoring the most goals in a single match. He scored 5 times as his Russian team defeated Cameroon in 1994.

The record for most goals scored in a final match is jointly held by Englishman Geoff Hurst and France Captain, Kylian Mbappé.

Hurst scored thrice as England defeated West Germany in the 1966 final, while Mbappe scored three times as his French side lost to Argentina in 2022.