‘Messi is going to score’: Kylian Mbappe eclipses him, but admits he would swap record for a World Cup final place

Kylian Mbappé admitted that becoming the FIFA World Cup’s all-time leading scorer offered little consolation after France missed out on another final and ended their campaign with a chaotic defeat to England.

Mbappé scored twice as France went down 6-4 in Saturday’s third-place match in Miami, taking his career tally to 22 World Cup goals. The France captain moved past Lionel Messi, who had 21 before Argentina’s final against Spain, and completed the 2026 tournament with 10 goals.

The landmark arrived during a remarkable French fightback. England had established a 4-0 lead by half-time, but Mbappé struck after the interval and then scored again as France threatened to recover from an extraordinary position. Bukayo Saka’s hat-trick ultimately helped England withstand that response and secure third place.

Yet Mbappé’s thoughts remained fixed on the match France were not playing. Didier Deschamps’ side had entered the tournament seeking a third consecutive World Cup final, only for Spain to defeat them 2-0 in the semi-final. The loss left France in a fixture Deschamps had openly described as an obligation rather than the stage his players wanted.

“Messi is going to score, 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,” Mbappé said. “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.”

Also Read: Kylian Mbappe surpasses Lionel Messi to become FIFA World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer

Mbappé’s record has been built across three exceptional World Cups. He scored four times as France won the tournament in 2018, added eight during their run to the 2022 final and struck 10 more in 2026. His latest haul left him leading the Golden Boot race before the final and made him the first player to reach 22 World Cup goals.

However, the timing of the achievement shaped his subdued response. France had been eliminated from title contention four days earlier, and even a personal record of historic scale could not replace the opportunity to compete for the trophy.

The defeat also marked the end of Deschamps’ 14-year reign as France coach. He departed after guiding the country to three successive World Cup semi-finals and two finals, leaving Mbappé’s landmark as one of the final significant moments of his tenure.

For Mbappé, the record strengthened an already extraordinary World Cup legacy. His words, though, made his priority unmistakable: goals and individual milestones matter, but not as much as taking France into the final.

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