FIFA World Cup: France captain Kylian Mbappe believes Lionel Messi will reclaim the FIFA World Cup’s all-time scoring record in Monday's final against Spain, just hours after overtaking the Argentina legend on the competition’s overall scoring charts.
Mbappe moved to the top of the all-time World Cup scoring list after netting twice in France’s thrilling 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place play-off on Saturday. The brace took the 27-year-old to 22 World Cup goals from just 22 matches, one ahead of Messi’s tally of 21.
However, with Argentina set to face Spain in the final, Mbappe is convinced the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will respond immediately.
“Leo, he scores all the time. Tomorrow he will score, for sure,” Mbappe told Fox Sports after the match.
Both Messi and Mbappe began the 2026 FIFA World Cup chasing former Germany striker Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record of 16 World Cup goals. Messi first equalled and then surpassed Klose during Argentina’s campaign before reaching 21 goals, only for Mbappe to leapfrog him with his double against England.
Mbappe has enjoyed a sensational tournament in North America, taking his tally to 10 goals in eight matches. His overall World Cup tally now stands at 22 goals, having scored 12 across the 2018 and 2022 editions before adding 10 more in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
His latest strikes also strengthened his grip on the Golden Boot race, leaving him two goals clear of Messi heading into Monday's final.
Despite the personal milestone, Mbappe admitted the record offered little consolation after France missed out on a podium finish.
His latest strikes also strengthened his grip on the Golden Boot race, leaving him two goals clear of Messi heading into Monday's final.
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France’s defeat to England ended Mbappe’s hopes of appearing in a second successive World Cup final, but the French captain will now watch with interest as Messi gets one last opportunity to reclaim the title of the tournament’s most prolific scorer. If the Argentina captain finds the net against Spain, as Mbappe expects, he will once again move ahead of the Frenchman atop the World Cup’s all-time scoring charts.