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Kylian Mbappé rewrote football history.The France captain scored twice in a stunning 6-4 defeat of England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place play-off to become the all-time top goalscorer in World Cup history while also moving to the top of the Golden Boot rankings ahead of Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain.Although France fell short in an extraordinary 10-goal thriller in Miami, Mbappé left the pitch in a daze Lionel Messia long-standing scoring record on the biggest football stage.His goal took him to 22 career goals at the World Cup, one more than Messi, who previously topped the tournament. Mbappé also moved up to 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup, overtaking Messi in the race for the Golden Boot after the Argentina captain finished the semi-final with eight goals.
England survived a remarkable 10-goal thriller
The third-place playoff provided one of the most entertaining games in World Cup history.England took a 4-0 lead in the first half with goals from Declan Rice in the third minute, Ezri Konsa in the 18th minute and a first half goal from Bukaya Saka, who scored in the 37th minute and again in first half stoppage time.As Didier Deschamps prepared for the final game of his 14-year tenure as France coach, Les Bleus responded with a dramatic revival after the break.Mbappé sparked the comeback with a clinical finish three minutes into the second half before Bradley Barcola reduced the deficit further in the 54th minute.
France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) scores his first goal past England goalkeeper Dean Henderson (13) during the World Cup third-place playoff soccer match between France and England in Miami Gardens, Florida, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
The Real Madrid forward then struck again in the 66th minute to make it 4-3, a goal that not only revived France’s hopes but also had huge historical significance as it moved him past Messi on the all-time World Cup goalscoring charts.England eventually regained control.Bukayo Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute before Ousmane Dembélé scored deep into injury time to make it 5-4. Jude Bellingham then wrapped up a remarkable contest with a superb solo goal in the 98th minute as England secured a memorable 6-4 win and third place.
The new king of goals at the World Cup
Mbappé’s second goal of the afternoon completed one of the most remarkable statistical achievements in football history.The 27-year-old has now scored 22 goals in just 22 World Cup appearances, maintaining a remarkable average of one goal per game across the 2018, 2022 and 2026 tournaments.In comparison, Messi scored 21 World Cup goals in 31 appearances before adding another during Argentina in this year’s final.Mbappé’s journey to the World Cup has already included the title in 2018, the final in 2022 and now another major success in 2026. He first burst onto the world stage by winning the young player award in Russia before scoring a hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina, although France eventually lost on penalties.
Kylian Mbappé overtakes Lionel Messi’s World Cup goalscoring record and leads the way for the Golden Boot/ Photo: AP
During this tournament, he also overtook Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time top scorer. His latest braces added another record to an already remarkable resume.Mbappé has now also become the player with the most goals without a penalty in World Cup history, moving to 19, surpassing Messi’s tally of 17.
The race for the Golden Boot is going in Mbappé’s favor
The game also dramatically changed the race for the tournament’s top scorer.Before kick-off, Messi led the standings after registering two assists in Argentina’s semi-final win over England, giving him eight goals and four assists compared to Mbappé’s eight goals and three assists.Saturday’s performance completely changed the picture.The latest order is:
- Kylian Mbappe (France): 10 goals, 4 assists
- Lionel Messi (Argentina): 8 goals, 4 assists
- Bellingham Jew (England): 7 goals, 1 assist
- Ousmane Dembele (France): 6 goals, 2 assists
- Harry Kane (England): 6 goals, 1 assist
Mbappé now has a two-goal advantage at the top, which puts him in pole position to win the Golden Boot.
Messi still has one last chance
Despite Mbappé’s historic afternoon, the story is far from over.Messi will lead Argentina into Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain at the New York New Jersey Stadium, giving the 39-year-old one last chance to respond.Victory would give Argentina a second consecutive World Cup title, while multiple goals could still see Messi reclaim both the tournament’s goalscoring record and the Golden Boot.For now, however, both honors belong to Mbappé.In a tournament already filled with incredible individual performances, the France captain made another historic milestone by becoming the first player ever to score 22 goals at the World Cup, doing so in just 22 games, and moved one step closer to adding another Golden Boot to his growing collection of individual honours.
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