CORNERFLICK
Kylian Mbappé became the highest scorer in World Cup history after netting twice for France against England in the 2026 third-place play-off.
The 27-year-old finished the tournament on 22 World Cup goals, moving clear of Lionel Messi’s 21. Miroslav Klose sits third on 16.
Mbappé also reached 10 goals at this World Cup, joining a very small group of players to hit double figures in a single tournament. Before him, only Just Fontaine, Sándor Kocsis and Gerd Müller had done so.
His tally made him the first player in 56 years to score more than eight goals in one World Cup. France did not reach the final, losing to Spain in the semi-finals, but Mbappé still left the tournament with another entry in the record books.
The Real Madrid forward now has a World Cup winners’ medal from 2018 and a runners-up medal from 2022, alongside his new scoring mark.