The 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, was a record-breaking tournament in multiple aspects. Kylian Mbappe emerged as the all-time leading goalscorer, surpassing Lionel Messi and also becoming the first player to win the Golden Boot twice. Messi, however, still holds the record for the most minutes played in World Cup history. In terms of national achievements, Brazil leads with the most World Cup wins (five), followed by Germany and Italy with four each. Brazil also holds the record for the most total goals scored by a nation, narrowly ahead of Germany. The tournament also saw an expansion to 48 teams, making it the largest in history.

Several players now feature prominently in the goalscoring charts. Mbappe's 22 goals place him at the top, with his 10 goals in the 2026 tournament setting a new single-edition record. Miroslav Klose is third with 16 goals, followed by Ronaldo (15), and Gerd Muller and Harry Kane (14). Lionel Messi's 21 goals place him second. For minutes played, Messi leads with 2,844 minutes, ahead of Paolo Maldini (2,216) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2,206).

Brazil's five titles were won in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002. Germany and Italy have four titles each, while Argentina has three. Spain, France, and Uruguay have two titles apiece. The tournament's expansion significantly increased the number of participating teams from the previous 32-team format.