A New World Cup King? Mbappe Breaks Messi's Record but Misses the Biggest Prize

Kylian Mbappe etched his name into World Cup history on Saturday by becoming the tournament's highest career goalscorer , overtaking Lionel Messi with 22 World Cup goals . Yet the French superstar admitted the milestone meant little as France suffered a 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff, ending their campaign on a disappointing note.

Mbappe struck twice in the second half to move past Messi's previous record of 21 World Cup goals. His first came moments after the restart, igniting France's comeback, before he added another in the 66th minute with a clinical left-footed finish to claim the historic record.

The 27-year-old also finished the tournament with 10 goals , putting him two ahead of Messi in the race for the Golden Boot . If Argentina captain Messi fails to overtake him in Sunday's World Cup final against Spain, Mbappe will become the first player to win the Golden Boot twice , having also claimed the award in Qatar 2022 with eight goals.

Despite the individual accolades, Mbappe made it clear that team success mattered far more.

"I would have preferred not to be the top scorer in history and play in the match tomorrow," he said after the game.

France endured a disastrous first half, trailing 4-0 before launching a spirited fightback through goals from Mbappe, Bradley Barcola , and Ousmane Dembele . They narrowed the gap to a single goal before England sealed victory in an entertaining encounter.

The tournament also saw Michael Olise set a new World Cup record with seven assists , surpassing Pele's mark of six established in 1970.

The defeat marked the end of Didier Deschamps' remarkable 14-year reign as France coach. Under his leadership, France won the 2018 World Cup , finished runners-up in 2022 , and reached the semifinals in 2026.

Mbappe paid tribute to his departing coach, insisting the defeat would not define Deschamps' legacy.

The French manager, who is expected to be succeeded by Zinedine Zidane , praised his captain after the match, describing Mbappe as an "incredible captain" whose commitment to the national team has never wavered.