Kylian Mbappe has rewritten football history again.The France captain scored twice in a thrilling 6-4 win over England in the third-place final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the top goalscorer in World Cup history and topping the Golden Boot charts ahead of Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain.Mbappe left the pitch in dejection despite France losing in a brilliant 10-goal thriller in Miami Lionel MessiA long-standing goalscoring record on football’s biggest stage.His brace took him to 22 goals in his World Cup career, one more than Messi, who earlier topped the list at this tournament. Mbappe also climbed to 10 goals at the 2026 World Cup, overtaking Messi in the race for the Golden Boot after the Argentina captain advanced to the semi-finals with eight goals.
England survive thrilling 10-goal thriller
The third-place final is one of the most interesting matches in World Cup history.At half-time, England led 4-0 at halftime thanks to Declan Rice’s goal in the third minute, Ezri Konsa’s goal in the 18th minute and Bukayo Saka’s brace in the first half, who scored again in the 37th minute and again in first-half stoppage time.Didier Deschamps was preparing for his final game of 14 years as France manager and France responded with a dramatic revival after the break.Kylian Mbappe sparked a comeback with a clinical finish three minutes into the second half before Bradley Bakola reduced the deficit further in the 54th minute.
France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) scores the first goal against England goalkeeper Dean Henderson (13) during the World Cup third-place play-off football match between France and England on Saturday, July 18, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
The Real Madrid striker scored again in the 66th minute, rewriting the score to 4-3. This goal not only rekindled France’s hopes, but also had huge historical significance, allowing him to surpass Messi and enter the World Cup’s all-time scoring list.England eventually regained control of the situation.Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute, before Ousmane Dembélé scored in stoppage time to narrow the gap to 5-4. Jude Bellingham then capped off a remarkable match with a superb 98th-minute solo goal as England secured a memorable 6-4 victory and moved into third place.
New World Cup Goalscorer
Mbappe’s second goal of the afternoon completed one of the most remarkable statistical achievements in football history.The 27-year-old has scored 22 goals in just 22 World Cup games, maintaining a remarkable average of one goal per game in the 2018, 2022 and 2026 tournaments.By comparison, Messi has scored 21 goals in 31 World Cup games and added another as Argentina reached the final this year.Mbappe’s World Cup journey already includes the 2018 title, the 2022 final and another deep run in 2026. He made his international debut 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 breaks Lionel Messi’s World Cup goalscoring record and leads Golden Boot win/Photo: AP
In this tournament, he also surpassed Olivier Giroud and became the top scorer in the history of the French team. His latest brace adds yet another record to his already remarkable resume.Mbappe has now become the player with the most non-penalty kick goals in World Cup history, reaching 19, surpassing Messi’s 17 goals.
Golden boot race goes in Mbappe’s favor
The brace also significantly changed the race for the tournament’s top scorer.Before kick-off, Messi contributed two assists in Argentina’s semi-final victory over England. He leads the standings with 8 goals and 4 assists, while Mbappe has 8 goals and 3 assists.Saturday’s performance changed that completely.The updated standings are as follows:
- Kylian Mbappe (France): 10 goals, 4 assists
- 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
Mbappe is now two goals ahead and firmly in the lead for the Golden Boot.
Messi has one last chance
Despite Mbappe’s historic afternoon, the story is not over yet.Messi will lead Argentina into Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain at New York’s New Jersey Stadium, giving the 39-year-old one last chance to respond.This victory will give Argentina their second consecutive World Cup title, and Messi can still refresh the World Cup scoring record and Golden Boot award with multiple goals.For now, however, both honors belong to Mbappe.In a tournament already filled with outstanding individual performances, the France captain achieved another historic milestone, becoming the first player in history to score 22 goals at a World Cup in just 22 games and adding another step towards the Golden Boot to add to his growing list of individual accolades.
