MIAMI: France forward Kylian Mbappe became the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history after scoring twice against England in the third-place playoff on Saturday, surpassing Lionel Messi’s career record with 22 tournament goals.
Mbappe struck in the 48th and 66th minutes to take his World Cup tally to 22 goals, moving one ahead of Messi. However, his performance was not enough to prevent France from losing 6-4 after trailing 4-0 at halftime.
How did Mbappe set the World Cup record?
The France captain’s two goals against England took his career World Cup tally to 22, making him the tournament’s highest-ever scorer. He also became the first player since West Germany’s Gerd Muller in 1970 to score 10 goals in a single World Cup.
“I’m just trying to help my team score every time,” Mbappe said after the match. “I would have liked to not be the top scorer in history and play tomorrow’s championship match.”
Can Messi reclaim the record?
Mbappe leads the race for the Golden Boot with 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup, two ahead of Lionel Messi. Argentina’s captain will have the opportunity to surpass both Mbappe’s tournament tally and career World Cup goals when his side faces Spain in Sunday’s final.