Kylian Mbappe Beats Lionel Messi’s World Cup Record but He is Not Happy

Kylian Mbappe has overtaken Lionel Messi as the FIFA World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer, netting his 21st and 22nd tournament goals during France's dramatic 6-4 loss to England in the third-place playoff on Sunday morning.

The match in Miami Gardens, Florida, began disastrously for France, who found themselves trailing 4-0 at halftime. However, Mbappe sparked a remarkable second-half resurgence with a sharp finish in the 48th minute. Bradley Barcola added another for Les Bleus before their captain scored again in the 66th minute, narrowing the deficit to just one goal.

Despite France finding a fourth, a sensational hat-trick from Bukayo Saka and a late strike from Jude Bellingham secured the victory for England in what will be remembered as a World Cup classic.

Messi, now 39 and competing in his sixth World Cup, will have an opportunity to reclaim the record when he captains Argentina in Sunday's final against Spain.

Speaking to Fox Sports post-match, Mbappe acknowledged his rival's scoring prowess. "Leo scores all the time. Tomorrow he will score for sure," he said. "I just try to help my team every time to score. It's certain that when you score so many goals in the World Cup it elevates you to certain levels."

However, the French star expressed mixed feelings about the personal milestone, prioritising team success over individual accolades.

"I would have preferred not to be the top scorer in history and play the match tomorrow," Mbappe stated. "I think it's good for everything related to legacy... but today that's not the first thing on my mind. I would have preferred not to be the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history and instead be able to play in the World Cup final tomorrow."

Messi had previously surpassed Miroslav Klose's record with a hat-trick in Argentina's opening game and added to his total in matches against Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Egypt. Now, Mbappe has moved past the Argentine legend.

The Real Madrid forward's brace also puts him ahead in the race for this tournament's Golden Boot. At 27, Mbappe has scored 10 goals in North America, two more than Messi's eight.

Mbappe first made his mark on the world stage in 2018, winning the Young Player of the Tournament award and lifting the trophy with France. In 2022, he scored a memorable hat-trick in the final, though it wasn't enough to prevent Messi's Argentina from claiming victory.

After struggling to replicate his club form for his country early in his career, Messi has become a dominant force at the World Cup. He achieved a lifelong dream by winning the tournament in Qatar four years ago, making up for the heartbreak of losing the 2014 final to Germany.