MESSI, ALL TIME TOP GOAL SCORER IN SOUTH AMERICA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Picture : Lionel Messi broke a new record with Argentina against Peru.
Messi, the new top goal-scorer of South America in World Cup qualifiers
With 3 goals scored at the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifying, Lionel Messi became the new South American record holder in history of tournament.
Messi amassed 31 goals in the qualifiers; he surpassed Luis Suárez (29), who hasn’t been called up to the Uruguay national team in this edition so far.
In the ranking, active players are highlighted in bold. Goals and appearances in inter-zonal play-offs are included.
| BEST SOUTH | AMERICAN | GOAL | SCORERS | IN WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION | |
| Player | Country | Goals | Games | By editions | |
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 31 | 63 | 2006(0), 2010(4), 2014(10), 2018(7), 2022(7), 2026(3) |
| 2 | Luis Suárez | Uruguay | 29 | 62 | 2010(5), 2014(11), 2018(5), 2022(8) |
| 3 | Marcelo Martins | Bolivia | 22 | 62 | 2010(7), 2014(4), 2018(1), 2022(10), 2026(0) |
| 4 | Alexis Sánchez | Chile | 20 | 59 | 2010(3), 2014(4), 2018(7), 2022(6), 2026(0) |
| 5 | Hernán Crespo | Argentina | 19 | 33 | 1998(3), 2002(9), 2006(7) |
| 6 | Marcelo Salas | Chile | 18 | 32 | 1998(11), 2002(4), 2006(3) |
| 7 | Edinson Cavani | Uruguay | 18 | 49 | 2010(0), 2014(6), 2018(10), 2022(2) |
| 8 | Iván Zamorano | Chile | 17 | 24 | 1990(1), 1998(12), 2006(4) |
| 9 | Arturo Vidal | Chile | 17 | 52 | 2010(1), 2014(5), 2018(6), 2022(4), 2026(1) |
| 10 | Neymar | Brazil | 16 | 28 | 2018(6), 2022(8), 2026(2) |
| 11 | Joaquín Botero | Bolivia | 16 | 31 | 2002(3), 2006(5), 2010(8) |
| 12 | Agustín Delgado | Ecuador | 16 | 32 | 1998(2), 2002(9), 2006(5) |
| 13 | Jefferson Farfán | Peru | 16 | 47 | 2006(7), 2010(0), 2014(5), 2018(4), 2022(0) |
| 14 | Felipe Caicedo | Ecuador | 15 | 32 | 2010(1), 2014(7), 2018(7) |
| 15 | Diego Forlán | Uruguay | 15 | 46 | 2006(6), 2010(7), 2014(2) |