Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Bronze Final - France v England - Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - July 18, 2026. France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal. Photo: Reuters
The 27-year-old leapfrogged Argentina's Lionel Messi (21), who is due to play in Sunday's final against Spain, and although that will almost certainly be his rival's last World Cup game, Mbappe will probably play in at least one more global tournament.
Mbappe finished his third World Cup campaign with 10 goals to the lead the Golden Boot standings, two ahead of Messi.
The Real Madrid forward managed the feat in 22 appearances, scoring four goals in 2018 and eight in 2022 as France reached both finals, beating Croatia and losing to Argentina four years ago.
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Bronze Final - France v England - Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - July 18, 2026. France's Kylian Mbappe scores their third goal. Photo: Reuters
"Messi is going to score (on Sunday), 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," Mbappe 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."
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Bronze Final - France v England - Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - July 18, 2026. France's Kylian Mbappe at half time. Photo: Reuters
