The World Cup has belonged to the headline acts so far, with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane all making their mark when the spotlight has been brightest.
That star power has inevitably shown up in the club-by-club scoring breakdown, where some of the game’s biggest names are heavily represented. Real Madrid lead the way, despite having only 10 players involved at the tournament.
There are a few unexpected entries near the top, too, with two Premier League clubs producing more goals than European heavyweights such as Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
Inter Miami have also scored more than Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal — although the MLS club’s contribution has hardly been spread across a long list of players.
Daily Mail Sport takes a closer look at the clubs whose players have been most prolific during the World Cup group stage:
Real Madrid – 11 goals
In normal circumstances, seeing Real Madrid at the summit of this ranking would barely raise an eyebrow. They remain the biggest club in world football.
What makes their position more notable is the size of their contingent. Real have just 10 players at the tournament, with 11 clubs — including Crystal Palace and Al Hilal — boasting greater representation in North America. The Spanish giants also started the competition without a single player in Spain’s squad for the first time since 1950.
Even so, Madrid’s players have still set the pace in front of goal. It certainly helps when their group includes Golden Boot contenders Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, as well as England’s key man Jude Bellingham.
That trio have 10 goals between them, while Arda Guler kicked off the scoring as Turkey – who finished bottom of their group – beat the United States in their final game.
Jude Bellingham has scored twice for England at the World Cup and Real Madrid players have netter 11 goals in total so far
Bellingham scored a crucial goal in England’s opener against Croatia, surging 35 yards with the ball before driving into the penalty area and earning the Three Lions the third goal in a thrilling 4-2 victory in Dallas. He then neatly finished to turn in a corner for the opener against Panama.
Real’s stars of the show have been Vinicius and Mbappe, though. Both scoring four goals, Mbappe has registered two braces, while Vinicius has scored in all three of Brazil’s group games.
Mbappe’s goals have been sublime, with two long-range strikes and a composed, drilled finish inside the penalty area accompanying a tap-in.
Vinicius, meanwhile, carried Brazil on his back against Morocco, stepping up when his team were struggling, showing quick feet before curling into the back of the net. He found a cute finish, too, against Haiti – slotting under the goalkeeper.
PSG – 10 goals
Ousmane Dembele had been to two World Cups prior to this tournament and never scored. But the Ballon d’Or holder has carried his stupendous club form into this tournament, breaking his duck against Iraq before a classy first half hat-trick against Norway.
Cut inside, take it back outside, smash into the back of the net. Hammer home from range. Cut inside and curl in with his left-foot. Three magical strikes.
Desire Doue added the last goal against the Norwegians with a lovely header.
23-year-old Bradley Barcola scored on World Cup debut as France beat Senegal, released in behind and lobbing over the goalkeeper.
Elsewhere, Achraf Hakimi netted in Morocco’s 4-2 win over Haiti and Joao Neves scored a powerful header for Portugal against DR Congo and Nuno Mendes smashed in a free-kick for Portugal and Ibrahim Mbaye netted for Senegal.
Ousmane Dembele has scored four goals so far for France including a hat-trick
Crystal Palace – Seven goals
Seven goals, three scorers for the Eagles, with Daichi Kamada, Ismaila Sarr and Daniel Munoz all finding the back of the net. A Palace player had never scored from open play at a World Cup before this tournament.
Kamada did not know much about either of his goals; both of them hit him and went in.
Munoz scored the winner for Colombia against DR Congo and the opener against Uzbekistan. The Uzbekistan goal, in particular, was genius – making an adventurous run inside to receive a lobbed pass in behind and volley into the back of the net with his right foot.
Sarr scored two consolation goals against Norway, both of which were well-taken after finding space in the penalty area. His most important, however, came against Iraq as Senegal won 5-0 to reach the knockouts. Sarr scored the second, a poacher’s finish into a gaping net.
Conference League winners Palace are well-represented at the World Cup. 12 players, seven goals, demonstrate how much the 2025 FA Cup winners have developed as a club since promotion to the Premier League in 2013.
Many would have laughed at the start of the tournament if told Palace would be the top scoring Premier League side in the groups.
Daniel Munoz (left) has scored two of the seven goals for Crystal Palace players
Sunderland – Seven goals
Another one of England’s Europa League representatives join Palace on the podium.
Brian Brobbey has been the standout. Benched in the opener against Japan, he started the Netherlands’ second game and immediately gave them a focal point – scoring a 17 minute brace against Sweden.
A nice back post finish against Tunisia helped the Dutch top the group. Brobbey will almost certainly be key if the Netherlands are to have a successful knockout campaign.
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Granit Xhaka scored from the spot, while Nilson Angulo levelled against Germany as Ecuador pulled off a shock 2-1 win to reach the knockouts.
Habib Diarra also bagged a vital goal for qualification, netting first in Senegal’s 5-0 win over Iraq to secure third spot by a wide enough margin to advance and Wilson Isidor netted a thunderous strike for Haiti against Morocco.
Inter Miami – Six goals
After a historic campaign last time out, finally getting his hands on the World Cup, Lionel Messi has shown no signs of slowing down. Six goals, a hat-trick and a brace. In his sixth World Cup, Messi finally scored a hat-trick.
He’s Inter Miami’s only goalscorer at the tournament and prior to the third round of matches, he was Argentina’s. He’s missed a penalty, too. The sixth came on Saturday night – a cheeky free-kick in the win over Jordan.
Two of the six stand out. His third against Algeria, receiving the ball on the edge of the penalty area and wrapping his foot around it to drive into the bottom corner.
His first against Austria was reminiscent of one of the most iconic goals of his career: the dramatic last-minute winner in Barcelona’s 3-2 El Clásico victory during the 2016-17 season. Just as he did at the Santiago Bernabeu, Messi arrived into the penalty area unnoticed, glided onto the ball and calmly side-footed it beyond the near post.
Lionel Messi has scored all six of the goals for Inter Miami players at the World Cup
Liverpool – Five goals
Cody Gakpo always looks his best for the Netherlands and international football seems to bring the best out of the Liverpool winger.
He fired in a trademark finish after cutting inside against Sweden, adding to the tap-in at the back post he’d netted in the same game.
While technically no longer a Liverpool player, we’ll count Mo Salah’s goal for the Reds’ tally as he’s not yet found a new home. He scored for Egypt against New Zealand in their 3-1 win.
Alexander Isak appears to be reaching somewhere near full fitness after a grim first season at Anfield and bagged one on his right foot against Tunisia.
And Virgil van Dijk’s header for the Dutch against Japan in their 2-2 draw rounds up the goals for the Reds out in the US so far.
Man Utd – Five goals
Matheus Cunha is leading the way as Man United’s top goal-scoring representative at the World Cup having established himself as a key member of the team under Carlo Ancelotti.
Cunha scored twice against Haiti, the first of which was bundled in off his knee and the second was a more accomplished, powerful finish into the roof of the net.
He then scored against Scotland after a brilliant run from Bruno Guimaraes set him up for a simple conversion.
Marcus Rashford bagged one for England on the break in their opener against Croatia, while Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo scored an excellent 90th-minute winner against Ecuador.
Arsenal – Five goals
Leandro Trossard cashed in on the 5-1 rout of New Zealand, scrambling home the opener from a corner.
He then netted a second with a smartly taken rebound to double his tally.
Kai Havertz produced one of the best finishes of the tournament so far with a wonderful chip in Germany’s 7-1 victory over Curacao in their opener.
And Viktor Gyokeres fired a well-placed finish into the corner after great work from Alexander Isak to win the ball back in Sweden’s 5-1 win over Tunisia.
Leandro Trossard has more goals than any other Arsenal player at the World Cup so far
Bayern Munich – Five goals
Harry Kane’s powerful header from Jude Bellingham’s cross against Panama was his third of the World Cup after his penalty and header against Croatia.
Colombia’s Luiz Diaz squeezed a shot in against Uzbekistan when the goalkeeper should have done better and his Bayern team-mate Jamal Musiala scored a wonderful angled finish for Germany’s fourth against Curacao.
Newcastle – Five goals
Yoan Wissa’s brace in DR Congo’s win over Uzbekistan arrived after some frankly dreadful finishing from the Newcastle man in the same game but he found his scoring touch.
His opener came from the spot and the second was a beautifully-struck effort into the far corner.
Anthony Elanga has been showing the kind of form that Magpies fans were desperate to see all season and scored twice for Sweden so far.
He curled in from the edge of the box against Japan and raced through for a consolation in the 5-1 defeat by the Netherlands.
Man City – Four goals
19 players at the tournament, yet only their goal machine has netted. Erling Haaland is to thank for all four of these goals, taking his astonishing club form to the international stage.
The golden boot will likely be a step too far, as Messi, Vinicius and Mbappe are expected to go deeper, but nonetheless the Premier League’s supreme finisher is having an impressive tournament.
Honourable mentions
Eight teams contributed three goals. The most intriguing are Freiburg and Motherwell. Motherwell’s Elijah Just scored three times for New Zealand, but that was not enough to keep them in the tournament.
Flying the flag for Freiburg is Swiss wonderkid Johan Manzambi, who has been a revelation at the tournament, also providing all three of Freiburg’s goals.
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