Kylian Mbappé has once again rewritten football history.The France captain scored twice in a stunning 6-4 defeat of England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup third-place playoff, becoming the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, while simultaneously moving to the top of the Golden Boot rankings ahead of Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain.Although France came up short in a 10-goal thriller in Miami, Mbappé left the field after being eclipsed. Lionel MessiThe long-time scoring record on football’s biggest stage.His brace took him to 22 career World Cup goals, one more than Messi, who had moved into first place earlier in this tournament. Mbappé also reached 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup, overtaking Messi in the Golden Boot race after the Argentina captain finished the semi-final with eight goals.
England survive an extraordinary 10-goal thriller
The third place playoff brought one of the most entertaining games in World Cup history.England stormed into a commanding 4-0 half-time through goals from Declan Rice in the third minute, Ezri Konsa in the 18th minute and a first from Bukayo Saka, who struck in the 37th minute and again in first-half stoppage time.With Didier Deschamps preparing for the final game of his 14-year spell as France manager, Les Bleus responded with a dramatic revival after the break.Mbappé sparked the comeback with a clinical finish three minutes into the second half before Bradley Barcola reduced the deficit further in the 54th minute.
France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) scores his first goal past England goalkeeper Dean Henderson (13) during the World Cup third-place soccer match between France and England in Miami Gardens, Florida, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
The Real Madrid striker then struck again in the 66th minute to make it 4-3, a goal that not only raised France’s hopes but also has huge historical significance as it lifted him past Messi in the all-time World Cup rankings.England eventually regained control.Bukayo Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute, before Ousmane Dembélé scored in stoppage time to reduce the deficit to 5-4. Jude Bellingham then capped the extraordinary contest with a superb solo goal in the 98th minute, as England secured a memorable 6-4 victory and third place.
A new king of World Cup goals
Mbappé’s second goal of the afternoon completed one of the most remarkable statistical achievements in football history.The 27-year-old has now scored 22 goals in just 22 World Cup appearances, maintaining an extraordinary average of one goal per game across the 2018, 2022 and 2026 tournaments.In comparison, Messi reached 21 World Cup goals in 31 appearances before adding another during Argentina’s run to this year’s finals.Mbappé’s World Cup journey has already included the 2018 title, the 2022 final, and now another deep run in 2026. He first burst onto the global stage by winning the Young Player Award in Russia before scoring a hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina, although France ultimately lost on penalties.
Kylian Mbappé takes Lionel Messi’s World Cup goalscoring record and leads the way for the Golden Boot / Image: AP
During this tournament, he also overtook Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time leading goalscorer. His latest brace added another record to an already extraordinary resume.Mbappé also became the player with the most penalty goals in World Cup history, reaching 19, surpassing Messi’s tally of 17.
Golden Boot race swings in Mbappé’s favour
The brace also drastically changed the race for the tournament’s top scorer.Before kickoff, Messi led the table after producing two assists in Argentina’s semi-final win over England, giving him eight goals and four assists compared to Mbappé’s eight goals and three assists.Saturday’s performance completely changed the picture.The updated ranking is:
- Kylian Mbappé (France): 10 goals, 4 assists
- Lionel Messi (Argentina): 8 goals, 4 assists
- Jude Bellingham (England): 7 goals, 1 assist
- Ousmane Dembélé (France): 6 goals, 2 assists
- Harry Kane (England): 6 goals, 1 assist
Mbappé now has a two-goal lead at the top, putting him firmly in pole position to claim the Golden Boot.
Messi still has one last chance
Despite Mbappé’s historic afternoon, the story is not over yet.Messi will lead Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain at New York’s New Jersey Stadium, giving the 39-year-old one last opportunity to respond.Victory would give Argentina a second consecutive World Cup title, while several goals could also see Messi reclaim the tournament’s scoring record and the Golden Boot.For now, however, both honors belong to Mbappé.In a tournament already full of remarkable individual performances, the France captain produced another historic milestone, becoming the first player ever to score 22 goals at the World Cup, doing so in just 22 games, and moved one step closer to adding another Golden Boot to his growing collection of individual honours.