Mbappe becomes World Cup's all-time top scorer with 22 goals

Kylian Mbappe has etched his name in World Cup history, becoming the tournament's all-time leading scorer with 22 goals. The French striker achieved this milestone by netting twice in France's 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff on Saturday.

At 27, Mbappe has now surpassed Lionel Messi, who has 21 goals and is set to play in his likely final World Cup match on Sunday. Mbappe's performance in this tournament saw him finish with 10 goals, securing the Golden Boot and leading the standings by two goals over Messi. He achieved this feat in 22 appearances across three World Cups, having scored four goals in 2018 and eight in 2022, with France reaching the final in both those years.

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Messi is going to score (on Sunday), that’s for sure. I’m just trying to ​help my team win. When you score a lot of goals at the World Cup, ​it puts you in a certain category.

Despite the individual achievement, Mbappe's focus remained on the team's performance. "Messi is going to score (on Sunday), that’s for sure. I’m just trying to help my team win," he stated. He acknowledged the significance of the record, noting, "When you score a lot of goals at the World Cup, it puts you in a certain category." However, he added, "I would have preferred not to be the all-time top scorer and to be playing tomorrow’s match. It’s good in terms of legacy, but today it’s not the first thing on my mind."

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I would have preferred not to be the all-time top scorer and to be playing tomorrow’s match. It’s ​good in terms of legacy, ​but today it’s not the first thing on my mind.