MIAMI: Kylian Mbappe made World Cup history on Saturday after overtaking Lionel Messi to become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer during France’s dramatic 6-4 defeat to England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 bronze final.
The France captain scored twice and provided an assist at Miami Stadium in Florida, taking his overall World Cup tally to 22 goals. Messi stands second with 21 goals.
Mbappe also moved ahead in the Golden Boot race, reaching 10 goals and three assists in six matches at the tournament. Messi has scored eight goals and provided four assists.
France appeared out of the contest after falling 4-0 behind in the first half, but Mbappe inspired a stunning fightback after the break.
He scored his ninth goal of the tournament in the 48th minute after combining with Michael Olise near the edge of the box before turning sharply and finishing into the bottom corner.
Six minutes later, Mbappe set up Bradley Barcola, who fired past Dean Henderson at the near post to further reduce the deficit.
The Real Madrid forward then scored again in the 66th minute, making him the leading goalscorer in World Cup history.
England restored control late in the match when Bukayo Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute.
Ousmane Dembele scored deep into stoppage time for France, but Jude Bellingham sealed England’s victory with a sixth goal.
