Mbappe overtakes Messi as World Cup’s all-time leading scorer

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Didier Deschamps’ final match as France coach ended in defeat, but Kylian Mbappe etched his name into World Cup history by overtaking Lionel Messi as the competition’s all-time leading scorer.

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Mbappe scored twice in France’s dramatic 6-4 loss to England in Saturday’s third-place playoff in Miami Gardens, Florida, taking his career World Cup tally to 22 goals and moving ahead of Messi on the all-time scoring chart.

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France endured a disastrous opening half, falling 4-0 behind before Mbappe sparked a spirited fightback with a first-time finish three minutes into the second half. Bradley Barcola then reduced the deficit before the Real Madrid forward struck again in the 66th minute to keep Les Bleus in contention.

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Deschamps’ side added a fourth goal, but Bukayo Saka’s hat-trick and Jude Bellingham’s late strike ensured England secured third place in a pulsating encounter.

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Despite setting a new World Cup scoring record, Mbappe admitted the personal milestone offered little consolation after France failed to reach the final.

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“Leo scores all the time. Tomorrow he will score for sure,” Mbappé told Fox Sports after the game. “I just try to help my team every time to score. It’s certain that when you score so many goals in the World Cup it elevates you to certain levels but there you go.

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“I would have preferred not to be the top scorer in history and play the match tomorrow. So I think it’s good for everything related to legacy and when we stop saying that I was one of those players, but today that’s not the first thing on my mind.

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“I would have preferred not to be the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history and instead be able to play in the World Cup final tomorrow.”

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Messi, now 39 and playing in his sixth World Cup, will have the opportunity to reclaim the record when Argentina face Spain in Sunday’s final.

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The Argentina captain had moved ahead of former record holder Miroslav Klose earlier in the tournament after opening with a hat-trick before adding braces and further goals against Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde and Egypt.

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Mbappe’s brace against England also strengthened his grip on the race for the Golden Boot. The 27-year-old now leads the scoring chart with 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup, while Messi sits on eight ahead of the final.

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Mbappe first announced himself on football’s biggest stage at the 2018 World Cup, winning the Young Player of the Tournament award after scoring four goals to help France lift the trophy.

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He famously netted a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final but ended on the losing side as Messi inspired Argentina to victory in Qatar.

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While the latest individual accolade further cements Mbappe’s place among the game’s greats, the France captain made it clear that reaching the World Cup final would have meant far more than rewriting the record books.

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