Kylian Mbappe etched his name into football history on Saturday, surpassing Lionel Messi to become the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer with a brilliant brace against England in the third-place playoff.

The French captain’s 22nd World Cup goal in the 66th minute moved him one clear of Messi’s record of 21, a mark that had stood since Argentina’s quarter-final victory over Egypt. Mbappe had drawn level with Messi just 18 minutes earlier when he scored his 21st career goal in the 48th minute.

His double also secured him a second consecutive World Cup Golden Boot, as Mbappe reached a record-breaking 10 goals at the 2026 tournament — the most ever scored in a single World Cup edition. Remarkably, only Miroslav Klose (16) had previously held the record for most career World Cup goals before this tournament, with Messi breaking it during the group stage before Mbappe claimed it for himself.

THE RECORDS BROKEN

1. Most World Cup Goals in History (Career)

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Mbappe’s remarkable achievement comes in just his third World Cup and only his 22nd appearance in the tournament. The French striker has now scored more World Cup goals than legends like Ronaldo (15) and Gerd Muller (14). His three World Cup campaigns have produced a goal-scoring rate of exactly one goal per game.

2. Most Goals in a Single World Cup Tournament

Mbappe’s 10-goal haul at the 2026 World Cup is the most by any player at a single tournament since 1958. He had previously won the Golden Boot in 2022 with eight goals, and his double against England took him to double figures for the first time in his career.

3. Back-to-Back Golden Boot Winner

Mbappe becomes the first player in World Cup history to win the Golden Boot in consecutive tournaments. He is also the first player ever to score 10 goals at a single World Cup and the first to score 22 career goals.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE RIVALRY

Mbappe’s achievement is all the more significant given the context of his rivalry with Messi. The two superstars had entered the tournament tied on record aspirations, with Messi becoming the all-time leading scorer during the group stage after surpassing Miroslav Klose. Mbappe began the tournament with 12 career goals and has now added 10 more to his tally.

However, the race is not over. Messi still has one match remaining, Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain in New Jersey, and could reclaim the record if he scores twice to reach 23 goals. The Argentine also has the chance to deny Mbappe the Golden Boot outright, though he would need a brace to draw level on goals.

For now, though, the record belongs to Mbappe. At 27 years old, he could play in one or two more World Cups, potentially extending his record beyond reach.