PHILADELPHIA – On a milestone Monday at the FIFA World Cup, French superstar Kylian Mbappé continued his chase of all-time World Cup scoring greats — including new record holder Lionel Messi — by notching his 15th career goal in the tournament, tying him for third on the sport’s most prestigious global scoring list.
The strike came in the 14th minute of France’s group stage clash against Iraq, marking Mbappé’s 100th appearance for the French senior national team and putting Les Bleus ahead 1-0 early. Playing in his third consecutive World Cup at 27, the iconic forward matched Brazilian legend Ronaldo’s career tournament goal total, while moving past West Germany’s Gerd Müller in the all-time rankings. Only Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who sits second with 16 World Cup goals, and new record-holder Messi stand ahead of Mbappé at the top of the chart.
Messi himself rewrote the record books earlier the same day, scoring twice for Argentina to push his career World Cup total to 18, the new all-time high. The Argentine captain had already drawn level with Klose the previous week, notching his first career World Cup hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City, Missouri.
Mbappé’s 15th goal was a clinical 20-yard left-footed finish that beat Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil, who earned his first start of the tournament after Iraq captain Jalal Hassan conceded four goals in the team’s opening 4-1 defeat to Norway.
A proven winner at the international level, Mbappé was a key part of France’s 2018 World Cup title run and helped the side reach the 2022 final in Qatar, where he claimed the Silver Ball as the tournament’s second-best player. Entering this year’s World Cup, France entered as joint title favorites alongside Spain, with Mbappé leading a dynamic attacking line that also includes breakout young talent Désiré Doué and reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé.
Mbappé is already one of just two players in history to score a hat trick in a World Cup final, having notched three against Argentina in the 2022 title match. He entered the clash against Iraq having already scored two goals in France’s opening 3-1 win over Senegal, bringing his 2024 tournament total to three ahead of the group stage’s second match.
The goal against Iraq also pushed Mbappé to the top of France’s all-time international scoring chart. He now has 59 goals for Les Bleus, two clear of former teammate Olivier Giroud, who previously held the French record.
Breaking down his 15 World Cup goals by tournament, Mbappé scored four times during France’s 2018 title run, notched eight to win the 2022 Golden Boot as top scorer, and has added three goals so far in this year’s edition — putting him well on track to challenge even Messi’s new record before the tournament concludes.