Mbappe surpasses Messi, becoming the greatest goalscorer in World Cup history with 22 goals after exactly 22 matches played in this arena.
Kylian Mbappé has officially rewritten World Cup history by overtaking Lionel Messi to become the tournament’s greatest goalscorer. A brace against England in the 2026 World Cup third-place match helped the France captain raise his tally to 22 goals after 22 appearances, achieving an efficiency of exactly one goal per match. Before the clash in Miami, Mbappé had 20 goals, one strike behind Messi.
Although France endured a nightmare first half and trailed England 4-0, Mbappé still demonstrated his remarkable goalscoring instinct. He pulled one back right at the start of the second half, before scoring again in the 67th minute. The second goal helped Mbappé surpass Messi’s milestone of 21 goals and solely occupy the number one spot on the all-time World Cup top scorers list.
Mbappé’s achievement of 22 goals was built across three consecutive World Cups. The striker born in 1998 scored 4 goals at Russia 2018, playing a major role in helping France be crowned champions; added 8 goals at Qatar 2022, where he scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina; and scored 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup. This streak of achievements shows a rare consistency from the French star.
Particularly at the 2026 World Cup, Mbappé becomes the first player in the 21st century to reach the 10-goal mark in a single tournament. The last person before him to achieve a similar feat was West Germany’s Gerd Müller in 1970. Mbappé currently ranks only behind Sándor Kocsis with 11 goals in 1954 and Just Fontaine’s record of 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup.
The new milestone also helps Mbappé hold a massive advantage in the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race. Lionel Messi enters the final between Argentina and Spain with 8 goals, meaning he must score at least two goals to equal the French striker’s achievement. If the two players are tied on goals, the number of assists and playing minutes will be used to decide.
At the age of 27, Mbappé already possesses a World Cup championship, has scored a hat-trick in a final, and currently stands above every legendary goalscorer in terms of total goals. Even though France could not feature in the final, Mbappé individually still closes the tournament with a historic mark. The record of 22 goals can still be extended if he continues to participate in the 2030 World Cup.
