Kylian Mbappé surpasses Lionel Messi's World Cup goal record with 22 goals
via SeneNews1 min read
French captain Kylian Mbappé has set a new record for World Cup goals, scoring 22 and surpassing Lionel Messi's previous record of 21. Mbappé achieved this milestone by scoring twice in the third-place play-off match against England in Miami. His two goals also placed him at the top of the current tournament's scoring chart with nine goals. Mbappé, who plays for Real Madrid, previously won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup with eight goals. He is also the all-time leading scorer for the French national team, with 66 goals in 107 appearances.
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Kylian Mbappé has become the leading goal scorer in World Cup history, achieving 22 goals in 22 matches since his debut in 2018. This performance places him ahead of Lionel Messi, who has 21 goals in 33 appearances since 2006. Mbappé's average of one goal per match is notable. Miroslav Klose, previously the record holder, now ranks third with 16 goals in 24 matches between 2002 and 2014. Ronaldo of Brazil follows with 15 goals in 19 matches across the 1998, 2002, and 2006 tournaments. Gerd Müller of Germany and Harry Kane of England are tied for fifth with 14 goals each. Müller achieved his total in 13 matches between 1970 and 1974, while Kane has scored 14 goals in 18 matches since 2018. Just Fontaine holds a record for 13 goals in a single World Cup, achieved in just six matches in 1958. Pelé scored 12 goals in 14 matches between 1958 and 1970. Jürgen Klinsmann, Sandor Kocsis, and Cristiano Ronaldo each have 11 goals. At 27 years old, Mbappé has the potential to further extend his record in future competitions.
Didier Deschamps, the coach of the French team, has significantly altered his starting lineup for the 2026 World Cup third-place match against England in Miami on Saturday, though captain Kylian Mbappé remains in the squad. For his final match as coach of Les Bleus, Deschamps has selected Mike Maignan as the starting goalkeeper. Brice Samba, the second-choice goalkeeper, was injured during the week. The defense is entirely new compared to the semi-final against Spain, with Théo Hernandez on the left, Maxence Lacroix and Ibrahima Konaté as center-backs, and Malo Gusto on the right. In midfield, Adrien Rabiot and Warren Zaïre-Emery form the double pivot, with Zaïre-Emery making his first start of the tournament. Up front, Désiré Doué replaces Bradley Barcola on the left wing, and Rayan Cherki will start in the center, with Michael Olise moving to the right wing. Kylian Mbappé, still in contention for the tournament's top scorer title and the World Cup's all-time leading scorer, will lead the attack. England's coach, Thomas Tuchel, has made even more changes following their 2-1 semi-final loss to Argentina, retaining only three starters: captain Declan Rice, defender Marc Guehi, and forward Morgan Rogers. Stars Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are on the bench, and Jordan Pickford is replaced by Dean Henderson in goal.