Kylian Mbappé etched his name into football history on Saturday, surpassing Lionel Messi's career World Cup scoring record with 22 goals — but his landmark achievement came in a 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff at Miami Gardens.
The France superstar scored twice in the second half to move past Messi's mark of 21, set during Argentina's triumphant 2022 campaign. Mbappé's first came in the 48th minute, a deft flick past England goalkeeper Dean Henderson that sparked a furious Les Bleus rally after they had trailed 4-0 at halftime. His second arrived in the 66th minute, a precise left-footed strike from 14 yards that not only pulled France within 4-3 but also secured his place atop the all-time scoring charts.
Mbappé finishes the 2026 World Cup with 10 goals, tied with Gerd Müller (1970) for the third-highest single-tournament haul in history, behind only Just Fontaine (13 in 1958) and Sandor Kocsis (11 in 1954). He now leads the Golden Boot race by two goals over Messi, who faces Spain in Sunday's final — meaning Mbappé could become the first player ever to win the Golden Boot twice.
"I would have preferred not to be the top scorer in history and play in the match tomorrow," Mbappé told Fox Sports in French, reflecting on France's semifinal loss to Spain that denied them a third consecutive final appearance.
The 27-year-old's brace completed a remarkable individual tournament. He scored eight goals to win the Golden Boot in Qatar 2022, where France fell to Argentina on penalties in the final. His 10 goals in 2026 matched the third-most in a single edition, while his career tally of 22 across three World Cups (2018, 2022, 2026) now stands alone at the summit.
England had raced to a 4-0 halftime lead, with Bukayo Saka completing a hat-trick in a wild contest that produced ten goals. Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé also scored for France, while Michael Olise contributed two assists to set a single-tournament record of seven, surpassing Pelé's six from 1970.
The match also marked the end of Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure as France head coach. Deschamps, who led Les Bleus to the 2018 title and the 2022 final, bowed out after a campaign that fell short of expectations but still produced moments of individual brilliance.
"In the end, we didn't win, and that's a shame for the coach," Mbappé said. "This match isn't going to tarnish Didier Deschamps' legacy."
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-france-mbappe-golden-boot-messi-9dd47a1df1469c84cc80a06184fe2732
