9 Top Goal-Scorers in Club World Cup History (Ranked)

The Club World Cup fails to carry the prestige of the Champions League or Premier League, despite it technically deciding the best team in the world. Before a new format in 2025, the competition sees every continental winner go head-to-head in a series of knockout matches to decide the winner; typically the European side wins.

During Real Madrid’s Champions League dominance as one of the most successful teams in the world, they also shone at the Club World Cup, with Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest attacking trios of all time, treating it like a training match with ease.

They’ve not been the only players to love life at the Club World Cup though. We have decided to highlight the top scorers in Club World Cup history. The top nine stretches across Asia, the Middle East, Mexico and Europe, epitomising the diversity at the tournament. There won’t be any surprises about who is top.

9 Salem Al-Dawsari

4 – Al-Hilal

Salem Al-Dawsari was one of the most famous names in the Saudi Pro League before everyone else opted to move over for financial gain. The winger has played at three Club World Cups, picking up four goals in the process. In the 2019/20 competition, he helped Al-Hilal reach the third-placed play-off, but they eventually lost to Flamengo on penalties. It was a similar story two years later as they crashed out to Chelsea in the semi-finals before losing to El Ahly in the third-placed play-off. The campaign later, Al-Dawsari’s side finally reached the final, but he could not prevent them from losing 5-3.

8 Denilson

4 – Pohang Steelers

Moving across to Asia, Denilson, not to be confused with the Denilson who won the World Cup in 1998 with Brazil, had an impressive career in the Club World Cup. He only played there once with Pohang Steelers in the 2009/10 competition, but he impressed, scoring four goals in just three matches.

He scored twice in the quarter-finals against TP Mazembe before scoring again in the semi-final defeat. Although it was disappointing, the Brazilian picked himself to score in the third-placed play-off and secure a memorable result for the Asian side. It goes to show just how diverse the competition can be.

7 Pedro

4 – Flamengo

Pedro was always billed as one of the next Brazilian players to make the move to Europe and shine. However, it surprisingly never came to fruition, with his short spell at Fiorentina highlighting his struggles. It seems to be the case that the striker prefers life in South America — and that has translated to his football. Since joining Flamengo, he’s shone and averaged a goal every two games.

This was epitomised during the 2022/23 Club World Cup when the now 27-year-old scored four goals in just two matches to help his side finish third. His two late goals in the third-play play-off against El Ahly saw them come from 2-1 down to win 4-2.

6 Cesar Delgado

5 – Monterrey

Throughout his career, Cesar Delgado has played for several clubs, including Cruz Azul, Olympique Lyonnais and Atlas. However, his only spell at the Club World Cup came with Monterrey in Mexico. He represented the side in three successive years from 2012 to 2014, scoring five goals at the tournament.

The Argentine international always looked to be at the heart of the attacking phase, whether that was as a winger or as a central midfielder. He could be trusted — even if Monterrey never managed to win the competition. The closest they came was a third-place finish in 2012.

5 Lionel Messi

5 – Barcelona

Lionel Messi needs no introduction. He’s one of the greatest players of all time, possessing a raw talent which sees him glide around the pitch effortlessly. Due to winning the Champions League on three occasions, Messi has played at the Club World Cup thee times.

At the 2009 and 2011 tournaments, Messi unsurprisingly picked up the Golden Ball as best player, helping Barcelona win the tournament in the process. He came second in the award in 2015, only behind teammate Luis Suarez, and his legacy at the Club World Cup has only helped his overall impact on the game. He’s idolised by millions of children around the world who wish they had even a fraction of his ability.

4 Luis Suarez

5 – Barcelona

From one Barcelona legend to another, Luis Suarez is one of the greatest players in the club’s history. His partnership with Messi and Neymar was electric, and it led to them winning the Champions League against Juventus in 2015. Just a handful of months later, they travelled to the Club World Cup — and the former Liverpool star worked his magic.

He scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against Guangzhou F.C. before then scoring the final two goals in the deciding match against River Plate to win 3-0. It’s the only two matches he’s played at the tournament, but he’s still remarkably scored five goals. Due to his performances in 2015, he was awarded the Golden Ball.

3 Karim Benzema

6 – Real Madrid/Al Ittihad

When you think of the greatest strikers of all time, Karim Benzema naturally pops up in the conversation. His natural talent was remarkable at his very best — and the Club World Cup witnessed that several times. He scored one of the key goals in the 2016 final against Kashima Antlers, whilst he was regularly in the right place at the right time to pick up goals in the semi-finals.

The French forward became the first player to score in four different Club World Cup editions in 2023 with his strike for Al-Ittihad in the first round against Auckland City. Later on in the tournament, he added to his tally with a strike against El Ahly, epitomising his legendary Club World Cup status.

2 Gareth Bale

6 – Real Madrid

Gareth Bale retired in 2023, leaving behind an iconic legacy of natural talent and skill coupled with sections of controversy. He’s the greatest Welsh player of all time — and as soon as he moved to Real Madrid in 2013, he thrived. Bale was a member of the Real Madrid teams that won the tournament in 2014, 2016, and 2017, scoring numerous critical goals and assisting on several more.

He scored the second goal against San Lorenzo in the 2014 final, which – despite the Club World Cup being not as prestigious – will forever be remembered in his career. At the 2018 tournament, he picked up the Golden Ball, and his performances throughout saw him score six goals — the second-most of all time.

1 Cristiano Ronaldo

7 – Real Madrid/Manchester United

Finally, Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest Portuguese player of all time. With a career spanning Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and now Al-Nassr, the legendary striker has won everything possible. However, despite representing five clubs, he has only played at the Club World Cup for two teams.

When Manchester United won the Champions League in 2008, he helped the Red Devils win the Club World Cup a couple of months later with a goal in the semi-finals against Gamba Osaka. Meanwhile, he was at the heart of Real Madrid’s dominance, even picking up the Golden Ball in 2016. With seven goals to his name, Real Madrid will forever be thankful to him as he acted as a frightful presence in the final third.