Kylian Mbappe pushed France into the last 16 and moved within one goal of Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record on July 4, scoring twice in a 3-0 win over Sweden at MetLife Stadium. Bradley Barcola added the other goal, and France’s place in the knockout bracket was secured with room to spare.
For Mbappe, the result mattered for more than the scoreline. His two goals lifted his World Cup knockout-stage total to nine, the most in the competition’s history, and left him on 19 goals overall, one behind Messi. He and Messi are also level in the 2026 Golden Boot race on eight goals each, which keeps the chase active even as France moves on.
Mbappe kept pressing for more. Earlier in the first half he hit the post, and later a marginal goal was disallowed, leaving him one finish short of a night that could have been even bigger. He still left to big cheers, turned in a 360 to wave to the stadium, and did enough to make the record feel close without actually taking it.
France’s next test comes against Paraguay in Philadelphia on July 4, and that is where the record chase now becomes the match within the match. Mbappe has 10 World Cup knockout-stage goals, matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s total World Cup haul, so the question is not whether he is in the race anymore. It is whether he breaks through in time to move ahead of Messi when France plays again.
