Guinness World Records officially recognised Kylian Mbappé as the FIFA World Cup’s all-time leading scorer after he surpassed Lionel Messi’s record of 21 goals
Mbappé reached the milestone during France’s third-place play-off against England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The record came in a historic 10-goal thriller that England won 6-4, their best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966
Guinness World Records has officially recognised Kylian Mbappé as the FIFA World Cup’s all-time top scorer, confirming the France captain now holds the record with 22 career goals in the competition.
The governing body of world records announced the milestone on Friday, 18 July, following France’s third-place play-off against England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Mbappé’s tally of 22 goals surpasses the previous benchmark of 21 set by Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
Mbappé Surpasses Messi in third-place thriller
Mbappé contributed two goals during a chaotic contest that ended 6-4 in England’s favour, a result that delivered the Three Lions their best finish at a men’s World Cup since they won the tournament on home soil in 1966.
England had raced into a remarkable 4-0 lead inside the first half, with goals from Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa, and a brace from Bukayo Saka.
France mounted a fierce response after the interval, with Mbappé netting twice and substitute Bradley Barcola adding a third to reduce the deficit to a single goal.
Saka converted a penalty to put England back in control, completing his hat-trick in the process. Ousmane Dembélé pulled one back late in stoppage time to make it 5-4, but Jude Bellingham struck a brilliant solo goal in the dying seconds to seal the win for England.
The match became the highest-scoring FIFA World Cup fixture since 1982 and set a new record as the highest-scoring third-place play-off in the tournament’s history.
France midfielder Michael Olise also made history during the 2026 World Cup, finishing the tournament with seven assists to surpass Brazil legend Pelé, who registered six during the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
Despite the defeat, Mbappé’s individual achievement underlines his standing as one of the most prolific players in World Cup history. His record-breaking tally eclipses legends of the game, cementing his place at the very summit of the tournament’s scoring charts.
