Five teams with the most goals scored in FIFA World Cup history

The quadrennial event, the FIFA World Cup, has always attracted huge fanbases across the globe. Wherever it happens, it creates a global village. The fans across the world travel to that individual location to see their favorite star playing. World Cups have made the career of footballers and at the same time, it has also ended a few. It goes same for the teams too. It has made few teams superteams whereas a few countries have lost faith in front of the home or away crowd. 

In this article, we will be looking at the five teams with the most goals scored in FIFA World Cup history. These teams have scored for fun at times but have also not allowed the opposition to reign their supremacy: 

5. France (128 goals)

The French are not a surprise but their positioning on this list can be a bit surprising as they are at the bottom of the top five. The swashbuckling French side has been part of the event since 1930 and nobody could forget Just Fontaine’s 13-goal World Cup nor Kylian Mbappe’s heroics in 2018 and 2022. France has always had a unique knack for scoring goals at the right time. 

From the elegant, ballet-like movements of Platini’s era to power and sheer pace in the current day, goal scoring has evolved in France. The 1998 World Cup saw the side scoring 15 goals for fun and their dismantling of Brazil 3-0 in the finals of the same World Cup were nothing but a poetry in motion. 

4. Italy (128 goals)

The Italians are known for their defense and in one of the interviews, the Italian legend mentioned how the game going soft has affected Italian football. Amidst these, the side has been able to muster 128 goals in the history of World Cup football. From the golden days of Rossi in 1982 to Baggio’s magical runs, the country has produced attacking brilliance moments. 
 
While they are usually known for shutting the shop in the game after going a goal ahead, nobody can forget how they fought back with two late goals in the 2006 World Cup against Germany. The tactical evolution in front of the goal is on display with their scoring numbers, a worthy team in the top five scorers list.

3. Argentina (144 goals)

The team that always boasted some generational attackers like Maradona and Lionel Messi, Argentina must and should be on the list of top goal scorers in the FIFA World Cup. From Maradona’s Hand of God to Messi’s Qatari masterclass where he had 10 G/A to his name, there is uniqueness with which La Albiceleste have scored. The South American word for scoring a goal with flair is “la nuestra” and it perfectly fits the description. 

From the 1978 World Cup where Maradona wreaked havoc to the 1986 World Cup, where he completely fizzled past the English defense, there is something different with every generation of Argentina players scoring the goals. These unique moments of brilliance have kept the nation well and alive in the top international competitions.

2. Germany (232 goals)

While Germans are known for their precise midfield and defense play, Die Mannschaft’s precision in front of goal is nothing less of an admiration. Those pure and picturesque goals are not just about being another number but about ruthless consistency across decades. 

From having poachers like Gerd Muller to a Fox in the Box, Miroslav Klose, Germans are the side who knew to find the back of the net frequently in the quadrennial event. The crazy thing about these goals is that they didn't usually come in the small games but in the knockouts. Who could forget the goal riot of 7-1 against Brazil in 2014? The 1974 World Cup winning side is completely different from the 2014 Champions but their DNA has one thing in common- scoring goals in bulk when needed.

1. Brazil (237 goals)

The number one on the list is something that every football lover would have expected. The Selecao with 237 goals top the list with a flair that they have brought to the game, especially with their attacking display and Samba dance. From Pele to Garrincha, from Ronaldo Nazario to Romario, the attacking display is nothing but a YouTube compilation of “How to Score Beautiful Goals”. The incredible part of Brazil’s record is their various forms of scoring the goals. May it be bicycle kicks, samba-style dribbles, and great free kicks. 

The 1970s side is alone worth the price of admiration as their style of play looked alien to their contemporary teams. The 2002 team with three Rs (Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho) were nothing but special. A bit of Joga Bonito made football a beautiful game.