Standing out in the highly-competitive sport of soccer is no mean task. Players are required to remain in top shape throughout the year, avoid injuries as much as possible, and step up when the going gets tough. If and only if they keep ticking the right boxes for a considerable period, they stand a chance of going down in the history books.
Every soccer player dreams of being immortalized, and there is hardly a better way to do that than by making it into the Guinness Book Of World Records. Of course, it is easier said than done, with only a handful of soccer stars managing to attain multiple Guinness World Record titles.
Now without further ado, let’s check out the five soccer superstars who have secured the most Guinness World Record (GWR) titles in history:
#5 Neymar — 4 Guinness World Records
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Neymar has amassed four Guinness World Record titles in his decorated career, surpassing the likes of Pele, Ronaldo Nazario, and Ronaldinho.
Neymar sealed his first Guinness World Record in 2013 when he became the first player to score a hat-trick in both the Copa Libertadores and the UEFA Champions League. In 2017, he earned the record for becoming the most expensive transfer in history, with him sealing a $262.8 million switch to PSG.
Impressively, Neymar also holds the record for scoring the fastest goal in an Olympic game. He took only 14 seconds to put Brazil ahead in a 6-0 victory over Honduras in August 2016.
#4 Kylian Mbappe — 5 Guinness World Records
Paris Saint-Germain ace Kylian Mbappe is seen as a natural successor to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The PSG is a leader at heart, scores goals for fun, and has already gone down in the Guinness Book of World Records more times than any other Parisian in history.
Mbappe currently holds the record for being the youngest player to score 100 goals in Ligue 1 history. He achieved the feat in 2021 when he was 22 years and 91 days old. The 2018 World Cup winner is also the youngest player in history to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or award. He was nominated for the prestigious accolade in 2017 when he was only 18 years and 293 days old.
#3 Robert Lewandowski — 9 Guinness World Records
Dubbed one of the best number 9’s in the history of soccer, Robert Lewandowski has nine Guinness World Records to his name. Interestingly, Lewandowski secured four of them in a single game.
Playing against Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich found themselves 1-0 down at half-time. The Polish superstar was brought off the bench in the second half to make a difference, and he did so in astounding fashion. The Barcelona ace scored a whopping five goals in a span of nine minutes, bagging four GWR titles in the process.
He was honored for scoring the quickest hat-trick in Bundesliga history as well as bagging four and five goals, respectively, in record times. Lewandowski’s final record of the game came for scoring the highest number of goals as a substitute.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo — 40 Guinness World Records
Al-Nassr skipper and five-time Ballon d’Or-winning superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo is the second on the list, with him securing 40 Guinness World Records titles in his career.
The 38-year-old, who is widely hailed as one of the best forwards in history, clinched his latest Guinness World Record in July. He was presented with the award for taking home $136 million and thus becoming the highest-paid athlete in 2023. In June, Guinness World Records honored him for becoming the first soccer player to play 200 international matches.
#1 Lionel Messi — 41 Guinness World Records
Having amassed 41 GWR titles, Lionel Messi has emerged as the soccer player with the most world records in the game’s history.
The Inter Miami star reached the milestone and surpassed his arch-rival Ronaldo during the Herons’ 4-0 Leagues Cup win over Atlanta United last week. According to reports, his second goal was the most-watched live event in America’s history, with a staggering 3.4 billion viewers tuning in to watch Messi’s magic.
Some of his other astonishing records include: the most FIFA World Cup appearances (26), most Man of the Match awards in FIFA World Cup history (11), and most goals scored in a calendar year (91 goals in 2012).
Stats via: Guinness World Records
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