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We are just weeks away from the start of one of the biggest sporting spectacles. FIFA World Cup 2018 will begin next month in Russia and some of the biggest names in world football will fight against each other for the biggest prize in football.
Over the years, we have witnessed some great strikers in the World Cups. Jurgen Klinsmann, Gabriel Batistuta, David Villa, Eusébio, Roberto Baggio, Gary Lineker, and Diego Maradona are some of the greatest goalscorers in the history of the competition.
But the ones on this list are simply a notch above the rest. They have played a stellar role for their respective teams in the tournament and scored a lot of goals. On that note, let's take a look at the top 5 greatest strikers in FIFA World Cup history.
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#5 Pele
Pele was one of the most prolific goalscorers in the game of football and arguably the greatest footballer of all-time.
With 77 goals in 92 games, Pele is the all-time leading goalscorer for Brazil. He also holds the record for the youngest winner of a World Cup and the youngest scorer in a World Cup.
Pele has represented Brazil in four World Cups and gave us some phenomenal performances during the 60's and 70's.
With 3 World Cup wins (1958, 1962, and 1970), he is the only player in the history of the game to win three World Cup titles and one of the most successful strikers in the history of the competition.
The Brazilian has scored 12 goals from 14 games in the World Cups. He was the winner of FIFA World Cup Golden Ball (Best Player) in the 1970 World Cup.
Regarded a lot for his speed, finishing, flair, feints, and dribbling, Pele was a physically strong striker with great abilities to score from either foot.
#4 Just Fontaine
Just Fontaine was one of the finest French strikers of all-time. With 13 goals during the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, Fontaine holds the record for most goals at a single World Cup, which he achieved in six games. He averaged 2.17 goals per game in Sweden that summer.
The Les Bleus striker has played only 21 games for his national team and scored 30 goals. He was ruthless in front of goal throughout his career and was one of the most feared strikers during the 1950's.
Unfortunately, his career was cut short because of a recurring leg injury and forced to retire at the age of 28.
In 2004, he was named as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers on the occasion of FIFA’s 100th anniversary.
#3 Gerd Muller
Germany is one of the most successful teams in FIFA World Cups. They have won four titles so far and Gerd Muller has played a part is one of those.
The German international has scored 68 goals for Germany in 62 games, averaging more than a goal per game.
Nicknamed 'Der Bomber', the 1970 Ballon d'Or winner played a stellar role for Germany during the 1974 World Cup triumph. With 10 goals during the 1970 World Cup, he was the winner of FIFA World Cup Golden Boot.
Muller represented Germany in two World Cups and scored 14 goals from 13 games at the rate of 1.08 goals per game.
Muller was known for his goalscoring instincts, acceleration, and balance. He possessed incredible pace and was unbelievably accurate in front of goal.
Unfortunately for Germany, Muller ended his national team career at the young age of 28. He became the first German to earn the European Footballer of the Year award.
#2 Ronaldo
Regarded by many as one of the greatest football players of all time, Ronaldo has won two World Cup titles (1994 and 2002) with Brazil and scored 62 goals for his national team in 98 appearances.
With 15 goals in the World Cups, the ex-Barcelona star is the second highest goal scorer in the history of the tournament.
The two time Ballon d'Or winner has won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball and Golden Boot in 1998 and 2002 respectively.
A technically gifted player, Ronaldo was known for his dribbling, quick feet, and ball control. He was phenomenal in one on one situations and his pace was a nightmare for defenders.
He was one of those players who could go past defenders at will and create something out of nothing.
#1 Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose is the second most-capped German footballer and an all-time top scorer for the national team, with 71 goals in 137 games.
Miroslav Klose has played in 4 FIFA World Cups (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014) and also the top scorer in the competition's history, with 16 goals in 24 appearances.
Klose has scored at least five goals in two World Cups, the record shared only with Teofilo Cubillas and Thomas Muller. He led Germany to title triumph in the 2014 World Cup and also won the Golden Shoe in 2006.
A typical modern-day center-forward, known for his aerial abilities. He used to dominate defenders in the box and scored a lot of goals with his head. He is also the only player to have appeared in four or more (consecutive) semi-finals in World Cups.
