Mbappé Surpasses Messi with 22 World Cup Goals, Leads Golden Boot Race

France's Kylian Mbappé achieved a significant personal milestone in the 2026 World Cup third-place playoff against England, scoring twice to reach a career total of 22 World Cup goals. This tally surpasses Lionel Messi's 21 goals, placing Mbappé at the top of the all-time World Cup scoring list.

However, the star forward expressed a nuanced sentiment following the match, stating, "If I could choose, I would prefer to play in the final tomorrow rather than become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history." France's journey in the tournament ended in the semifinals with a 0-2 loss to Spain, ultimately finishing fourth after their defeat in the third-place match.

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If I could choose, I would prefer to play in the final tomorrow rather than become the all-time top scorer in World Cup history.

With his two goals in the playoff, Mbappé also took the lead in the current tournament's Golden Boot race, reaching 10 goals. This achievement marks the first time since Gerd Müller in the 1970 Mexico World Cup that a player has scored double-digit goals in a single World Cup tournament. Historically, only a few players, including Sándor Kocsis (11 goals in 1954) and Just Fontaine (13 goals in 1958), have achieved similar scoring feats.

Mbappé emphasized his focus on team performance, saying, "I always focus on helping the team score. Scoring so many goals in the World Cup certainly puts you in a special category." He is now vying for his second consecutive World Cup Golden Boot, having won the award in the 2022 Qatar World Cup with 8 goals. The final outcome of the Golden Boot race may depend on Lionel Messi's performance in the final match against Spain, as tie-breaking criteria, such as assists, could come into play.

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I always focus on helping the team score. Scoring so many goals in the World Cup certainly puts you in a special category.