WORLD CUP RECORDS (Part 19) - PLAYER WITH MOST GAMES
Picture : the Record of Lothar Matthäus can be broken in 2022 if ... !
Player with most games: Lothar Matthäus
*In 1998, Lothar Matthäus lifted the record mark on the number of games to 25. His record is still standing but can be finally beaten in Qatar. This will happen if Argentina enter the top 4, and Lionel Messi (now at 19) takes part in each game.
*Among possible participants of 2022 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos are closest to Messi: both have played 17 games at previous editions in total. The next with 16 are: Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller, Fernando Muslera.
*Miroslav Klose, 2nd after his countryman Matthäus in the main ranking, is a record holder of the competition on the number of games in playoff stages (14).
*Paolo Maldini who takes 3rd line in the ranking, is the first in the World Cup history on the number of minutes played (2217).
*The Brazilian Denílson has appeared 11 times in total at 1998 and 2002 editions: more than any other player in the whole history of World Cups.
| PLAYERS WITH MOST | WORLD CUP GAMES | |||
| Player | Country | Games | Breakdown | |
| 1 | Lothar Matthäus | Germany | 25 | 1982(2), 1986(7), 1990(7), 1994(5), 1998(4) |
| 2 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 24 | 2002(7), 2006(7), 2010(5), 2014(5) |
| 3 | Paolo Maldini | Italy | 23 | 1990(7), 1994(7), 1998(5), 2002(4) |
| 4 | Uwe Seeler | Germany | 21 | 1958(5), 1962(4), 1966(6), 1970(6) |
| Władysław Żmuda | Poland | 21 | 1974(7), 1978(6), 1982(7), 1986(1) | |
| Diego Maradona | Argentina | 21 | 1982(5), 1986(7), 1990(7), 1994(2) | |
| 7 | Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 20 | 1974(7), 1978(6), 1982(7) |
| Cafu | Brazil | 20 | 1994(3), 1998(6), 2002(7), 2006(4) | |
| Philipp Lahm | Germany | 20 | 2006(7), 2010(6), 2014(7) | |
| Bastian Schweinsteiger | Germany | 20 | 2006(7), 2010(7), 2014(6) | |
| Javier Mascherano | Argentina | 20 | 2006(5), 2010(4), 2014(7), 2018(4) | |
| 12 | Wolfgang Overath | Germany | 19 | 1966(6), 1970(6), 1974(7) |
| Berti Vogts | Germany | 19 | 1970(6), 1974(7), 1978(6) | |
| Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | Germany | 19 | 1978(5), 1982(7), 1986(7) | |
| Ronaldo | Brazil | 19 | 1998(7), 2002(7), 2006(5) | |
| Per Mertesacker | Germany | 19 | 2006(6), 2010(7), 2014(6) | |
| Rafael Márquez | Mexico | 19 | 2002(4), 2006(4), 2010(4), 2014(4), 2018(3) | |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 19 | 2006(3), 2010(5), 2014(7), 2018(4) | |
| 19 | Franz Beckenbauer | Germany | 18 | 1966(6), 1970(5), 1974(7) |
| Sepp Maier | Germany | 18 | 1970(5), 1974(7), 1978(6) | |
| Mario Kempes | Argentina | 18 | 1974(6), 1978(7), 1982(5) | |
| Antonio Cabrini | Italy | 18 | 1978(7), 1982(7), 1986(4) | |
| Gaetano Scirea | Italy | 18 | 1978(7), 1982(7), 1986(4) | |
| Pierre Littbarski | Germany | 18 | 1982(7), 1986(5), 1990(6) | |
| Thomas Berthold | Germany | 18 | 1986(6), 1990(7), 1994(5) | |
| Dunga | Brazil | 18 | 1990(4), 1994(7), 1998(7) | |
| Cláudio Taffarel | Brazil | 18 | 1990(4), 1994(7), 1998(7) | |
| Fabio Cannavaro | Italy | 18 | 1998(5), 2002(3), 2006(7), 2010(3) | |
| 29 | Karl-Heinz Schnellinger | Germany | 17 | 1958(2), 1962(4), 1966(6), 1970(5) |
| Dino Zoff | Italy | 17 | 1974(3), 1978(7), 1982(7) | |
| Peter Shilton | England | 17 | 1982(5), 1986(5), 1990(7) | |
| Jürgen Klinsmann | Germany | 17 | 1990(7), 1994(5), 1998(5) | |
| Enzo Scifo | Belgium | 17 | 1986(7), 1990(4), 1994(4), 1998(2) | |
| Fabien Barthez | France | 17 | 1998(7), 2002(3), 2006(7) | |
| Roberto Carlos | Brazil | 17 | 1998(7), 2002(6), 2006(4) | |
| Thierry Henry | France | 17 | 1998(6), 2002(2), 2006(7), 2010(2) | |
| Lúcio | Brazil | 17 | 2002(7), 2006(5), 2010(5) | |
| Iker Casillas | Spain | 17 | 2002(5), 2006(3), 2010(7), 2014(2) | |
| Wesley Sneijder | Netherlands | 17 | 2006(4), 2010(7), 2014(6) | |
| Robin van Persie | Netherlands | 17 | 2006(4), 2010(7), 2014(6) | |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 17 | 2006(6), 2010(4), 2014(3), 2018(4) | |
| Sergio Ramos | Spain | 17 | 2006(3), 2010(7), 2014(3), 2018(4) |