Mbappé Scores Brace Against England, Becomes World Cup's All-Time Top Scorer With 22 Goals

Mbappé's two goals against England in the third-place playoff made him the World Cup's all-time leading scorer with 22 career goals.

Kylian Mbappé now owns a record that once seemed untouchable: the most goals ever scored in FIFA World Cup history. His brace against England in the third-place playoff in Miami pushed his career World Cup total to 22 goals, two ahead of Lionel Messi's previous record of 20. The third-place match itself was a high-scoring affair, with England's Bukayo Saka registering a hat-trick as his side won 6-4. Despite the individual milestone, Mbappé left the pitch with mixed emotions — a third-place finish rather than the championship he sought. Mbappé's record-setting performance also reshapes the Golden Boot race heading into the World Cup final. Messi, who has never led the scoring charts at a World Cup, now sits two goals behind and faces a significant climb if he is to claim the top scorer award in the tournament's concluding match. Messi does remain in contention for the Golden Ball award for best player of the tournament, with sources noting a third such honor is within reach if Argentina wins the final. No player has ever won three Golden Balls at a single World Cup cycle. The France captain's record comes across four World Cup appearances, with his goal haul spanning tournaments dating back to 2018. The milestone cements his place in the sport's history regardless of how the final resolves.

Why it matters

Mbappé surpassing Messi as the World Cup's all-time leading scorer is one of football's most significant statistical milestones, directly shaping the Golden Boot race and adding another dimension to the broader rivalry between the two players.

What's next

Messi and Argentina face the World Cup final, where Messi could chase down the Golden Boot gap and potentially claim a third Golden Ball award.

Key facts

• Mbappé's career World Cup goal tally now stands at 22, two more than Messi's 20
• His brace came in the third-place playoff against England, played in Miami
• England won the third-place match 6-4, with Bukayo Saka scoring a hat-trick
• Messi has never led World Cup scoring charts at any tournament
• A third Golden Ball award for Messi is described as achievable if Argentina wins the final

Bias & framing notes

Yardbarker frames the story primarily around Mbappé's record-breaking achievement and the milestone's historical significance. The majority of other sources (multiple regional outlets running what appears to be the same wire report) focus instead on the Golden Boot race and Messi's chances, centering the narrative on Messi despite the record being Mbappé's. Source 4 (Yahoo) is entirely unrelated to this event and should be disregarded. Most sources are regional outlets carrying the same underlying report, limiting true editorial independence.

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