Lionel Messi is the leading scorer among active players in FIFA World Cup history with 18 goals, but Kylian Mbappé has narrowed the gap to just two goals, setting up a potential changing of the guard at football's biggest tournament.

According to FIFA World Cup records , Messi tops the list with 18 goals after extending his tally during the 2026 tournament. The Argentine captain surpassed former records during his World Cup career, which included lifting the trophy in Qatar in 2022.

France forward Mbappé sits second among active players with 16 World Cup goals. Still only in his twenties, the French star has already established himself as one of the tournament's most prolific scorers, having played key roles in France's 2018 World Cup triumph and 2022 runner-up finish.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo remains third with 10 World Cup goals. While the five-time Ballon d'Or winner continues to add to his legendary career, he faces a significant gap to the two players ahead of him.

The numbers highlight a shift between generations. Messi and Ronaldo have dominated global football for nearly two decades, collecting multiple Ballon d'Or awards, league titles and international honours. However, Mbappé's rapid rise has positioned him as the most likely player to challenge Messi's World Cup scoring mark in the years ahead.

FIFA records show that World Cup goals remain among the sport's most valued achievements due to the tournament's four-year cycle and limited opportunities to score on football's biggest stage.

With the 2026 World Cup still unfolding, attention remains focused on whether Messi can further extend his lead, whether Mbappé can overtake him, or whether Ronaldo can produce another memorable chapter in one of football's greatest rivalries.

For now, Messi remains on top, but the race for World Cup scoring supremacy is far from over.

The operation was carried out jointly by officers from the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Russian Investigative Committee.

According to Russian authorities, the first suspect was arrested near a law enforcement building in the city of Pyatigorsk.

"A Russian citizen born in 2006 was detained as she approached a building belonging to a law enforcement agency in Pyatigorsk. The backpack she was carrying was found to contain an improvised explosive device with a yield of approximately two kilograms in TNT equivalent," the FSB statement read.

Investigators said a second woman was detained shortly afterwards during the same operation.

The agency added that soon after the first suspect was apprehended, its officers identified and detained another Russian woman who "on the instructions from Ukrainian handlers, had intended to deliver a similar device to the site" while the investigative and operational team was working there.

Russian authorities described the case as an alleged Ukraine-backed attack targeting law enforcement personnel.

Footage released by officials showed the suspects being detained and explosive devices being destroyed in controlled detonations.

According to investigators, both women acted independently and claimed they did not know the bags they were transporting contained explosive devices.

The detainees now face several criminal charges, including terrorism, illegal transportation of ammunition and illegal manufacture of explosive devices.