Group the goalscorers. Find the hidden connection. Challenge your friends to beat your time.
This free connections puzzle game tests your knowledge of the greatest goalscorers in FIFA World Cup history — from Kylian Mbappé's all-time record of 22 goals to Just Fontaine's extraordinary 13-goal single-tournament haul in 1958. Choose from three themed puzzles, each presenting 16 player names that you must sort into four groups of four based on a hidden connection. Fresh off the 2026 World Cup — won by Spain, with France's Kylian Mbappé taking the Golden Boot — there has never been a better time to test your scorer knowledge.
Group 16 top World Cup scorers by the nation they represented. Germany, Brazil, Argentina and France have produced some of the game's greatest marksmen — but can you tell them apart?
Find the four players who all scored at the same World Cup tournament. From Maradona's 1986 Mexico masterclass to Kane's Golden Boot in Russia 2018, these tournaments live in football history.
Group the Golden Boot winners by the era in which they claimed the award — from Ademir in 1950 through to Harry Kane in 2018. The hardest of the three puzzles, and the most rewarding to crack.
Following the 2026 tournament, the FIFA World Cup all-time scoring record belongs to Kylian Mbappé of France with 22 goals, set at the 2026 finals when his 10-goal Golden Boot campaign carried him past Lionel Messi of Argentina (21 goals). Third on the all-time list is Miroslav Klose of Germany (16 goals, 2002–2014), followed by Brazil's Ronaldo (15 goals, 1998–2006) and West Germany's Gerd Müller (14 goals, 1970–1974). France's Just Fontaine holds the single-tournament record — an astonishing 13 goals in just six matches at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, a record that has stood for over 65 years.
Mbappé now tops the all-time list with 22 World Cup goals across 2018, 2022 and 2026, winning a second straight Golden Boot at the tournament co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico. Lionel Messi sits second on the all-time list with 21 goals and, at 39, became the oldest player ever to feature in a World Cup final when Argentina finished runners-up to Spain in 2026. Harry Kane won the Golden Boot at Russia 2018 with 6 goals and has 11 career World Cup goals with England.
Select a puzzle from the three options, then click four player tiles that share the same hidden connection. Hit Submit to check your answer. A correct group is revealed with a colour-coded row — yellow for easiest, purple for hardest. You have four mistakes before the game ends, and a five-minute time limit per puzzle. After completing a puzzle, challenge a friend by entering your name and generating a shareable link — they'll see your score and have to beat it.
After the 2026 World Cup, Kylian Mbappé of France leads with 22 goals, having added a 10-goal Golden Boot campaign to his earlier 12. He edged past Lionel Messi of Argentina (21) to set the new record, with Miroslav Klose of Germany third on 16 goals across four World Cups (2002–2014).
Just Fontaine of France scored 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden — all in just six matches. The record has never been threatened since. Hungary's Sándor Kocsis is second with 11 goals at the 1954 tournament.
Kylian Mbappé of France won the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup — co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico — with 10 goals, his second in a row after Qatar 2022. Spain won the tournament, beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final.
Inspired by the popular NYT Connections format, this game presents 16 player names in a 4×4 grid. Your goal is to identify four groups of four players that share a hidden connection — such as all playing for the same country, or all winning the Golden Boot in the same decade.
More World Cup trivia: World Cup History Quiz · Top Scorer Q&As · 2026 World Cup Quiz