Mbappe breaks World Cup scoring record as England secure bronze medal

By Sanjay Menon — 19 July 2026 — 3 min read

Kylian Mbappe has surpassed Lionel Messi’s career World Cup scoring record, achieving his 21st and 22nd goals during a third-place play-off match. Despite Mbappe’s historic performance, France was defeated by England with a final score of 6-4 in Miami, allowing England to claim the bronze medal. This marks England’s best World Cup finish since their victory in 1966.

The match saw England establish a significant 4-0 lead by half-time. Mbappe then scored in the 48th and 66th minutes, moving ahead of Messi’s record and taking his tournament goal tally to 10, placing him in the lead for the Golden Boot race. Michael Olise contributed with two assists in the game, bringing his total to seven for the tournament, thereby breaking Pele’s record for the most assists in a single World Cup, a record that had stood since 1970.

England’s Performance and Tuchel’s Reflections

England’s victory was sealed with a late penalty from Bukayo Saka, completing his hat-trick, and a sixth goal from Jude Bellingham. Bellingham’s seventh goal in the tournament made him England’s all-time scorer in this World Cup. The match was described as a high-scoring affair, with both teams displaying strong attacking play, leading to the sixth game in men’s World Cup history with 10 or more goals.

Thomas Tuchel, England’s manager, addressed questions regarding fan trust following the semi-final defeat against Argentina. He stated that he takes responsibility for decisions made and believes the team built more during the World Cup than they lost in the semi-final. Tuchel acknowledged the pain of missing out on the final but highlighted the achievement of securing England’s first medal since 1966 and their best World Cup result on foreign soil.

Tuchel emphasized the need to regain trust daily in international football, looking ahead to the Nations League in seven or eight weeks. He noted that the drama surrounding the Argentina match was significant but stressed that reacting on the pitch is the most effective way to address criticism. The bronze medal win provided a positive conclusion to the tournament for the team.

Records and Future Outlook

The match was a record-breaking event, not only for Mbappe but also in terms of overall goals. It was the highest-scoring game since 1982. Other notable high-scoring World Cup matches include:

• Austria 7-5 Switzerland (1954)
• Brazil 6-5 (AET) Poland (1938)
• Hungary 8-3 West Germany (1954)
• Hungary 10-1 El Salvador (1982)
• France 7-3 Paraguay (1958)
• France 4-6 England (2026)

This game also marked England’s first major tournament match in 10 years without Jordan Pickford starting in goal, ending his streak of 33 consecutive major-tournament starts. Dean Henderson started, making saves in the first half before conceding four goals in the second. Looking ahead to Euro 2028, Pickford will be 34, Henderson 31, and James Trafford, the squad’s other goalkeeper, will be 25.

For France, Didier Deschamps reflected on his 14-year tenure, stating that he did not want the third-place play-off to define his career. He expressed pride in his service to the team and wished the next France manager the best, noting the team’s potential to continue winning titles. Ousmane Dembele also scored his sixth World Cup goal for France in the match.

The World Cup concludes with the final match between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium, where Lionel Messi, at 39 years old, will have another opportunity to compete for the Golden Boot award.

Source: nytimes.com