Kylian Mbappe etched his name into World Cup history Saturday, though the achievement offered him minimal consolation. The France captain netted twice in a chaotic 6-4 third-place defeat to England, surpassing Lionel Messi to claim the record as the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 22 career goals.
Following Mbappe being spotted laughing amid the first half French meltdown , the historic goal arrived in the 66th minute. He defeated England goalkeeper Dean Henderson with a left-footed effort from approximately 14 yards, elevating him beyond Messi's prior mark of 21.
It crowned a remarkable individual tournament for Mbappe, who concluded with 10 goals, two ahead of Messi in the battle for the Golden Boot, an accolade he could claim for a second occasion if he maintains his lead over Messi after Sunday's final between Argentina and Spain.
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Only Just Fontaine's 13 goals in 1958 and Sandor Kocsis's 11 in 1954 rank above Mbappe's tournament haul among single-edition displays, reports the Mirror US .
Nevertheless, he expressed afterward he would have happily sacrificed the record for a different result in the competition. "I would have preferred not to be the top scorer in history," Mbappe told FOX Sports in French, "and play in the match tomorrow."
France found themselves behind 4-0 at halftime following a commanding opening period from England, fueled by goals from Declan Rice , Ezri Konsa , and two from Bukayo Saka .
France lost 6-4 to England -Credit:Buda Mendes, Getty Images
Mbappe ignited a breathtaking second-half comeback, finding the net three minutes after the restart to reduce the deficit, before Bradley Barcola and a second Mbappe strike pulled France to within one at 4-3.
However, Saka wrapped up a hat-trick from the penalty spot to establish a 5-3 scoreline, and although Ousmane Dembele dragged France back to within one deep in stoppage time, Jude Bellingham put the result beyond doubt moments later, rounding off the highest-scoring World Cup fixture since 1982.
Reflecting on the dramatic turnaround between the two halves, Mbappe was candid about France's sluggish opening period.
"There were two very different halves," he said. "During the first one, I can understand why some people think we made fools of ourselves and didn't do the jersey justice.
Kylian Mbappe was candid about France's slow opener -Credit:2026 FIFA
"I'd say instead that we were human - and we can't afford to be. We were completely stunned, and they really shook us awake."
The contest also represented the curtain call on Didier Deschamps' 14-year reign as France head coach, with Mbappe voicing disappointment that the squad was unable to send their longstanding manager out on a winning note.
"In the end, we didn't win, and that's a shame for the coach," Mbappe said. "The first half gives the impression that we let him down - that's not at all how we wanted him to feel. This match isn't going to tarnish Didier Deschamps' legacy." Deschamps came to his captain's defense after the game.
"I know he has been given an image that is not true to reality," Deschamps said through an interpreter. "He is an incredible captain, and like many of these players, he has evolved. He is disappointed that he did not manage to compete in the final."
