Mbappe surpasses Messi: how long will the new record stand?

England secured the 2026 World Cup bronze medals, but the biggest historical result of an incredible 10-goal thriller Kylian Mbappébelonged to. The France captain scored twice to become the new all-time World Cup record holder.

However, the fate of this record is not yet fully decided, as Lionel Messi still has one more opportunity in the final against Spain.

A historic comeback that started in the second half

France was trailing England 0-4 after the first half. Mbappé scored his team's first goal in the 48th minute and netted his second with a left-footed strike in the 66th minute.

Although these two goals brought France back into the game, Didier Deschamps' side could not equalize. England won 6-4 to claim the 2026 World Cup bronze medals.

22 goals in 22 matches — Mbappé at a new peak

The 27-year-old Mbappé's tally of World Cup goals has reached 22. He achieved this in just 22 appearances, becoming the top scorer in tournament history.

The French forward surpassed Lionel Messi's record of 21 goals. The Argentina captain reached that mark in 33 matches.

Mbappé's World Cup record:

• 2018 World Cup — 4 goals;

• 2022 World Cup — 8 goals;

• 2026 World Cup — 10 goals.

Thus, he achieved the fantastic feat of averaging one goal per game across three World Cups.

The main contender for the Golden Boot

By bringing his 2026 World Cup tally to 10 goals, Mbappé has become the sole leader in the race for the Golden Boot. He is two goals ahead of Messi, who had 8 before the final.

The French star did not hide his satisfaction with the record, but emphasized that the team result was more important to him.

“I would have preferred to play in tomorrow's final rather than be the top scorer. It's good for my legacy, but it's not the first thing on my mind right now,” said Mbappé.

The record could change again in the final

Mbappé is currently the absolute record holder of the World Cups. However, Messiwill equal the French forward if he scores one goal in the final against Spain, and will reclaim the record if he scores a brace.

Therefore, the final word in the race for the top scorer in World Cup history has not yet been written. Mbappé has done his part — now it is Messi's turn in the final.

England takes bronze, Mbappé takes history

Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick for England. The match became the highest-scoring third-place play-off in World Cup history, and the highest-scoring game since 1982.

France missed out on bronze, but Mbappé secured one of the most prestigious individual records in football history. Now the main intrigue is: will this result last more than a day?