Kylian Mbappé has established a new record for career goals in the World Cup, surpassing Lionel Messi’s previous mark. The France captain achieved this milestone by scoring twice during France’s defeat to England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place playoff match. This performance also placed him at the top of the Golden Boot standings.
The match, held in Miami, saw Mbappé’s two goals increase his career World Cup tally to 22 goals. This figure is one more than Messi, who had earlier in the tournament moved into the top spot. Mbappé also reached 10 goals in the 2026 World Cup, moving ahead of Messi in the Golden Boot race, as the Argentina captain concluded the semi-finals with eight goals.
A high-scoring playoff match
The third-place playoff delivered a high-scoring encounter. England took a commanding 4-0 lead by halftime, with goals 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, under manager Didier Deschamps in his final match after a 14-year tenure, 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 further in the 54th minute.
The Real Madrid forward scored again in the 66th minute, making the score 4-3 and moving him past Messi on the all-time World Cup scoring list. England eventually secured their victory, with 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, before Jude Bellingham sealed England’s 6-4 win with a solo goal in the 98th minute.
Mbappé’s World Cup journey and records
Mbappé’s second goal of the match marked a significant statistical achievement. The 27-year-old has now scored 22 goals in 22 World Cup appearances, maintaining an average of one goal per game across the 2018, 2022, and 2026 tournaments. In contrast, Messi achieved 21 World Cup goals over 31 appearances before adding another during Argentina’s path to this year’s final.
Mbappé’s World Cup career includes winning the 2018 title and reaching the 2022 final. He also won the Young Player Award in 2018 and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina. During the current tournament, he also surpassed Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time leading scorer. Additionally, Mbappé has become the player with the most non-penalty goals in World Cup history, with 19, surpassing Messi’s total of 17.
Mbappé’s performance significantly impacted the race for the Golden Boot. Before the third-place playoff, Messi led the standings with eight goals and four assists. Mbappé’s two goals and an assist in the match shifted the standings.
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
Mbappé now holds a two-goal lead, positioning him favorably for the Golden Boot award. Despite this, Messi still has an opportunity to influence the Golden Boot race and the all-time scoring record, as he will participate in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain.
Mbappé expressed a preference for playing in the final over holding the scoring record, stating, “I would have preferred not to be the all-time top scorer and to be playing tomorrow’s match.” He achieved this historic milestone of 22 World Cup goals in 22 matches.
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Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Arjun Sharma
Sports Reporter