The next FIFA World Cup is not until 2026, but there is already a sense of excitement building towards the tournament, as it is being hosted by 16 cities in three countries.
The competition will be played between 11th June and 19th July 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the United States. This is the first time it will be hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994. This 2026 World Cup has another first, as it will host 48 teams instead of the usual 32.
Related
The top World Cup goalscorers of all time
Some of the greatest players of all time have performed on the biggest stage.
Over the years, many legendary players have made their mark on the competition, with some going on to compete at multiple World Cup finals. So as the countdown to the tournament continues, we have taken a look at the players who have made the most appearances at the World Cup.
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Players with the most men’s World Cup appearances |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Player |
Nation |
WC apps |
|
1 |
Lionel Messi |
Argentina |
26 |
|
2 |
Lothar Matthaus |
Germany |
25 |
|
3 |
Miroslav Klose |
Germany |
24 |
|
4 |
Paolo Maldini |
Italy |
23 |
|
5 |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Portugal |
22 |
|
6= |
Diego Maradona |
Argentina |
21 |
|
6= |
Wladyslaw Zmuda |
Poland |
21 |
|
6= |
Uwe Seeler |
West Germany |
21 |
|
9= |
Hugo Lloris |
France |
20 |
|
9= |
Javier Mascherano |
Argentina |
20 |
|
9= |
Philipp Lahm |
Germany |
20 |
|
9= |
Bastian Schweinsteiger |
Germany |
20 |
|
9= |
Cafu |
Brazil |
20 |
|
9= |
Grzegorz Lato |
Poland |
20 |
14
Grzegorz Lato (Poland)
20 matches
First on this list is Grzegorz Lato, who won 100 caps for his national side, Poland. The former winger played in four World Cups as a player, playing a total of 20 matches.
The best Lato achieved with his country was a third-place finish in 1974 and 1982, but on a personal level, he also had a decent scoring record, as he netted 10 times in the competition.
13
Cafu (Brazil)
20 matches
Cafu is one of the most famous Brazil players to play the game and is still highly talked about now by the lucky ones who got to watch him play.
The Brazilian played in four separate World Cups, captaining his national team in his last two tournaments. Cafu played 20 times in the World Cup, and while he didn’t score, he made up for it by winning the competition twice in 1994 and 2002.
12
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)
20 matches
Former Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger won 121 caps for his national team and was part of three World Cup squads.
The midfielder played 20 times in the competition, scoring two goals and providing six assists. The 2014 World Cup was one to remember for the ex-Bayern Munich midfielder, as he finally secured a piece of silverware with his country.
11
Philipp Lahm (Germany)
20 matches
A player who played with Schweinsteiger for Germany and Bayern Munich is Philipp Lahm.
The former Germany captain, who lifted the World Cup in 2014, also played 20 times in the World Cup, though he had more minutes than his former teammate with 1,920 minutes compared to Schweinsteiger’s 1,656.
Aside from winning the trophy in Brazil, Lahm memorably opened the German World Cup of 2006 with a special opening goal against Costa Rica.
10
Javier Mascherano (Argentina)
20 matches
Javier Mascherano was a very important player for club and country during his playing days, as he won 147 caps for Argentina.
The former midfielder played in four World Cups for his national team but was unable to claim success, as the furthest they got while he was in the team was the final in 2014, where they lost 1-0 to Germany.
Mascherano played in 20 World Cup matches during his career, making him one of Argentina’s most-capped players at the World Cup.
9
Hugo Lloris (France)
20 matches
France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has played in four World Cups, with his last appearance being in the 2022 final against Argentina.
Lloris has appeared 20 times in the competition, keeping an impressive eight clean sheets along the way.
Lloris is lucky enough to call himself a World Cup winner as he played a big role in his country’s success in 2018. He is also France’s most-capped player for World Cup games.
8
Uwe Seeler (Germany)
21 matches
Uwe Seeler was a former Germany international who won 72 caps for his national team, with 21 of those coming in the World Cup.
Seeler scored nine goals and chipped in with eight assists during those appearances, but he was unable to be a part of a team that won the tournament, coming closest when England defeated West Germany at Wembley in 1966.
7
Wladyslaw Zmuda (Poland)
21 matches
Wladyslaw Zmuda is another former Poland international who represented his country in four World Cup tournaments. He was awarded the Young Player Award after the 1974 World Cup, with his performances at centre-back taking Poland to the third-place play-off, where they beat Brazil.
Zmuda was also captain of the team that was knocked out in the semi-finals in 1982, where they were beaten by eventual winners Italy.
6
Diego Maradona (Argentina)
21 matches
Diego Maradona is another Argentina player who played in multiple World Cups for his country.
Maradona earned 91 caps for his national side, scoring 34 goals in the process, and was seen at the time as one of the greatest to play the game.
Maradona played 21 times in the World Cup and had an impressive record in the competition, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists. The Argentinian was also a World Cup winner in 1986.
5
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
22 matches
It may not surprise many football fans to see Cristiano Ronaldo near the top of this list given he has been playing football for a long period of time and doesn’t look like he’s going to stop anytime soon.
Ronaldo has played in five World Cups, playing a total of 22 games, but his record when it comes to goals is arguably underwhelming, as he’s only got eight to his name. The 39-year-old has no World Cup winner’s medal, but it is surely at the top of his wish list before he retires.
4
Paolo Maldini (Italy)
23 matches
Paolo Maldini has been retired from football for a long time now, but the Italian is still fondly remembered as one of the greatest defenders to play the game.
Maldini featured in four World Cups for Italy, playing a total of 23 games, but was never able to win the tournament. The closest Maldini came was in 1994 as Italy reached the final before being beaten on penalties by Brazil.
3
Miroslav Klose (Germany)
24 matches
Miroslav Klose is arguably one of the greatest goalscorers football has seen, especially at international level, as he scored 71 goals in 137 appearances for Germany.
Of those 137 games, 24 came in World Cups, a tournament that Klose thrived in as he scored 16 goals. Klose was a member of the Germany team that won the 2014 World Cup and is the tournament’s current record goalscorer.
2
Lothar Matthäus (Germany)
25 matches
Germany’s Lothar Matthäus is second for the most appearances at a FIFA World Cup.
The former midfielder played 25 times for his country on the biggest stage in football, scoring six goals along the way.
Matthaus was a part of some fantastic German teams, including the one that won the 1990 World Cup, with “Der Panzer” netting in the penalty-shootout victory over England in the semi-finals.
1
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
26 matches
Lionel Messi has played the most games in World Cup football, with the Argentinian playing 26 matches across five different tournaments.
Messi’s first World Cup was in 2006, where Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals. He then played in the following four tournaments with varying success, with the latter in 2022 being the one that finally saw him lift the biggest trophy in the game.
Messi played a pivotal role in his country’s triumph, scoring seven times in 2022, meaning he now has 13 goals in the World Cup.
