- Kylian Mbappé made history by passing Lionel Messi for the career World Cup scoring record with 22 goals, scoring twice in the third-place match against England.
- Mbappé achieved this milestone at the age of 27, needing only 22 games to set the record, while Messi required 33 matches to score his 21 goals.
- Mbappé finished the World Cup with 10 goals, two more than Messi, putting him in the lead for the Golden Boot award.
- Despite his record, Mbappé expressed a desire to be playing in the final instead of being the top scorer, stating, "I would have preferred not to be the top scorer in history and play in the match tomorrow."
Kylian Mbappé made history on Saturday by becoming the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, netting his 22nd goal during the third-place match against England. Despite his remarkable achievement, France lost 6-4 in a match that marked the end of Didier Deschamps' tenure as head coach.13
Mbappé's record-breaking goal came in the 66th minute, allowing him to surpass Lionel Messi, who has 21 goals in World Cup history. Remarkably, Mbappé reached this milestone in just 22 matches, compared to Messi's 33. "I would have preferred not to be the top scorer in history," Mbappé said, expressing his desire to be playing in the final instead.24
This World Cup, Mbappé finished with 10 goals, two more than Messi, putting him in contention for the Golden Boot. If he maintains his lead after Argentina's final match, he will become the first player to win the Golden Boot twice.
Deschamps praised Mbappé, stating, "Kylian is a great player and on a human level he is a great person." Despite the loss, Mbappé reflected on the match, saying, "In the end, we didn’t win, and that’s a shame for the coach."
France's journey in this World Cup included a victory under Deschamps, a heartbreaking final loss to Argentina, and a semifinal exit against Spain. Zinedine Zidane is expected to succeed Deschamps as head coach.
“He scored twice in France's 6-4 loss to England in the third-place play-off, finishing with 10 goals in the tournament. Mbappé expressed disappointment at not playing in the final, saying he would have preferred not to be top scorer and play in the match tomorrow.”
DW.com
