Nearly a century of football has produced records that range from the untouchable to the about-to-fall. These are the milestones that still sit at the top of the World Cup record books.
Qatar 2022 (64 matches) — set to fall in 2026's 104-match edition
13 goals in 1958 — untouched for over 60 years
5 goals, Russia 6–1 Cameroon, 1994
6 World Cups each
27 World Cup appearances
10–1 v El Salvador (1982) and 9–0 v South Korea (1954)
17 years, 41 days — Northern Ireland, 1982
45 years, 161 days — Egypt, 2018
Some look permanent — Just Fontaine's 13 goals in a single tournament has stood since 1958. Others are living on borrowed time: the 172-goal tournament record is certain to fall in 2026's expanded, 104-match edition.