Kylian Mbappé surpasses Lionel Messi’s World Cup goal-scoring record

By Sanjay Menon — 19 July 2026 — 3 min read

Kylian Mbappé, the captain of France, has made history by becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history. He achieved this milestone by scoring two goals during France’s 6-4 defeat to England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place playoff match held in Miami. This performance also placed him at the top of the Golden Boot standings.

Mbappé’s brace brought his career total to 22 World Cup goals, surpassing Lionel Messi’s previous record of 21 goals. Messi had earlier in the tournament moved into the first place position. Additionally, Mbappé’s 10 goals in the 2026 World Cup have put him ahead of Messi in the Golden Boot race, as Messi concluded the semi-finals with eight goals.

Historic Performance in Third-Place Playoff

The third-place playoff match was a high-scoring affair, with England initially taking a commanding 4-0 lead by halftime. Goals for England came from Declan Rice in the third minute, Ezri Konsa in the 18th minute, and a brace from Bukayo Saka, who scored in the 37th minute and again in first-half stoppage time.

France mounted a comeback in the second half. Mbappé initiated the revival with a goal three minutes into the second half, followed by Bradley Barcola reducing the deficit in the 54th minute. Mbappé scored again in the 66th minute, making the score 4-3 and securing his place as the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer.

England eventually reasserted control, with Bukayo Saka completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute. Ousmane Dembélé scored for France deep into stoppage time, bringing the score to 5-4. Jude Bellingham then scored a solo goal in the 98th minute, sealing England’s 6-4 victory and third place in the tournament.

Mbappé’s World Cup Journey and Records

Mbappé, at 27 years old, has now scored 22 goals in 22 World Cup appearances across the 2018, 2022, and 2026 tournaments, maintaining an average of one goal per game. In contrast, Messi achieved his 21 World Cup goals over 31 appearances before the current tournament’s final.

His World Cup career includes winning the Young Player Award in 2018 and scoring a hat-trick in the 2022 final. During the current tournament, Mbappé also surpassed Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time leading scorer. He now also holds the record for the most non-penalty goals in World Cup history with 19, exceeding Messi’s 17.

Mbappé’s performance significantly impacted the Golden Boot race. Before the third-place playoff, Messi led with eight goals and four assists, compared to Mbappé’s eight goals and three assists. Following his two goals, Mbappé now leads with 10 goals and four assists.

The updated Golden Boot standings are:

• Kylian Mbappé (France): 10 goals, 4 assists
• Lionel Messi (Argentina): 8 goals, 4 assists
• Jude Bellingham (England): 7 goals, 1 assist
• Ousmane Dembélé (France): 6 goals, 2 assists
• Harry Kane (England): 6 goals, 1 assist

Despite Mbappé’s achievement, the Golden Boot race is not entirely decided. Messi is set to lead Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain at the New York New Jersey Stadium, providing him with a final opportunity to potentially reclaim the scoring record and the Golden Boot.

Mbappé expressed a preference for playing in the final over holding the scoring record, stating that while it is good for his legacy, it was not his primary focus at the moment. He also acknowledged that Messi is likely to score in the upcoming final. For now, however, both the all-time World Cup scoring record and the lead in the Golden Boot standings belong to Mbappé.

Mbappé’s second goal of the afternoon marked a significant statistical achievement, making him the first player to score 22 World Cup goals in 22 matches.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com