Kylian Mbappe etched his name further into FIFA World Cup history by becoming the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer, despite France ending their 2026 campaign with defeat by England.
The France captain scored twice in the third-place play-off as Les Bleus were beaten 6-4 by England in a thrilling encounter, taking his World Cup tally beyond Lionel Messi’s previous record.
Mbappe’s goals came during a remarkable second-half comeback attempt from France, who had fallen four goals behind after a dominant opening period from Thomas Tuchel’s England.
The forward’s double not only gave his side hope of completing an unlikely recovery but also moved him to the top of the World Cup scoring charts, surpassing Messi’s mark and adding another milestone to an already remarkable international career.
At just 27, Mbappe has already delivered some of the most memorable moments in World Cup history. He scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina, won the Golden Boot at Qatar 2022 and played a key role in France’s 2018 triumph.
His latest achievement underlined his extraordinary consistency on football’s biggest stage, with goals spread across multiple tournaments and against some of the world’s strongest nations.
However, the individual record came with disappointment as France were unable to complete their comeback against England. Goals from Ousmane Dembélé and other late efforts kept Didier Deschamps’ side in contention, but Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the Three Lions.
While France returned home without a medal, Mbappe departed the tournament having added another chapter to his growing legacy.
The record places him ahead of some of football’s greatest names and reinforces his status as one of the defining players of the World Cup era.
