Kylian Mbappe sets new record in FIFA World Cup history

France captain Kylian Mbappe has achieved another historic milestone in the world of football. By scoring a brace in the third-place play-off against England, the striker has taken the lead in the list of top scorers in FIFA World Cup history. The Real Madrid star's tally has reached 22 goals, allowing him to break the record previously held by Lionel Messi. This is reported by Goal.com .

However, this success did not bring complete joy to Mbappe. According to Goal.com, the French national team's 4-6 defeat and the fact that they had to fight for a bronze medal instead of playing in the final negatively affected the player's mood. Emphasizing that team victories are more important than personal achievements, the striker did not hide that he would have preferred playing in the final over setting a historic record.

Can Messi reclaim the record?

Mbappe is well aware that his lead may not last long. The fact is that Argentina captain Lionel Messi has 21 goals to his name and will take the pitch in tomorrow's final match against Spain. Mbappe highly rated his former teammate's chances, expressing confidence that he would quickly reclaim the record.

"Leo always scores. He will definitely score tomorrow, I have no doubt about it," Mbappe stated in an interview with Fox Sports. Currently, Mbappe is also leading the race for the 2026 tournament's Golden Boot with 10 goals. Messi follows him with 8 goals. If the Argentine star fails to make his mark in the final, Mbappe could become the first player in history to win this award twice.

The French striker's efficiency is an unprecedented phenomenon in modern football. He has joined legends like Just Fontaine, Eusebio, and Ronaldo, who managed to score more than 8 goals in a single tournament. Nevertheless, the general atmosphere in the French camp is somewhat heavy, as the team's defensive performance is drawing much criticism.

In particular, AC Milan midfielder Adrien Rabiot called the first half of the match against England a "disgrace." In his opinion, the team did not show enough professionalism in the third-place play-off. Mbappe's personal record remained somewhat in the shadow of this failure. Now, the eyes of the whole world are focused on how Lionel Messi will respond to Mbappe's new record.