France captain Kylian Mbappé has become the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history after netting twice in France’s third-place play-off victory over England at the 2026 tournament.
The brace took the Real Madrid forward’s World Cup tally to 22 goals, moving him past Lionel Messi’s previous record. Mbappé also strengthened his claim for the tournament’s Golden Boot, having scored 10 goals during the 2026 campaign.
The 27-year-old achieved the milestone in just 22 World Cup appearances, compared with Messi’s 32 matches, maintaining a remarkable average of one goal per game throughout his World Cup career.
Mbappé has represented France at the 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups, playing a pivotal role in Les Bleus’ 2018 triumph before helping them reach the finals in the next two editions. His performances have further cemented his place among France’s greatest footballers.
The forward, who has captained France since 2023 under Didier Deschamps, also became his country’s all-time leading goalscorer during the 2026 World Cup, surpassing Olivier Giroud’s record. Despite arriving at the tournament after an injury-disrupted season with Real Madrid, Mbappé produced another outstanding campaign on the international stage.
His new World Cup goalscoring record could still face an immediate challenge, with Messi having the chance to add to his tally in Argentina’s final against Spain. However, with Mbappé 10 years younger than the Argentine star, he is widely expected to feature in future World Cups, giving him ample opportunity to extend his record even further.
