Mbappe sets World Cup scoring record with 22 goals as France loses third-place match

Kylian Mbappe has become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, netting his 22nd goal during the third-place play-off match on Saturday. Despite this individual achievement, his team, France, suffered a 6-4 defeat to England in what was Didier Deschamps' final game as France's head coach.

Mbappe's two goals in the match moved him one goal ahead of Argentina's Lionel Messi in the all-time World Cup scoring table. Messi, however, will have an opportunity to reclaim the lead when Argentina competes in the final on Sunday. Furthermore, Mbappe's brace propelled him to the top of the Golden Boot standings for the 2026 World Cup, giving him a two-goal advantage over Messi in the current tournament.

Reflecting on his record, Mbappe stated, "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." 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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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.

The third-place play-off was a high-scoring affair, with England establishing a commanding 4-1 lead by halftime. Although Mbappe's efforts helped France mount a comeback, England ultimately held on for the victory. Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick for England, and Jude Bellingham became the first England player to score seven goals in a single World Cup. This result marked England's best World Cup performance since their victory in 1966.

Didier Deschamps concluded his tenure as France coach with this match. He previously led France to a World Cup title in 2018 and a runner-up finish four years ago, after captaining the team to a World Cup win in 1998. France's journey in this tournament ended with a 2-0 semi-final loss to Spain, preventing them from reaching a third consecutive final. Spain will face Argentina in the final.

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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.