MIAMI GARDENS, Florida — The 2024 FIFA World Cup third-place match between France and England entered the history books on Saturday, as Kylian Mbappé cemented his status as the greatest goalscorer in World Cup history by overtaking legendary Argentine forward Lionel Messi on the all-time tournament scoring chart.
Mbappé’s two goals against England pushed his career World Cup goal tally to 22, one clear of Messi’s previous record of 21. The outpouring of goals also keeps him firmly on track to claim a second Golden Boot, the individual honor awarded to the tournament’s top goalscorer. He currently holds 10 goals at this year’s competition, holding a two-goal advantage over Messi, who is competing for Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final.
The match unfolded with England taking a dominant 4-0 lead heading into halftime, putting France in a difficult position to climb back for the win. Mbappé opened his account in the 48th minute, flicking a clever shot past England backup goalkeeper Dean Henderson to put France on the board. Eighteen minutes later, he netted his second of the match and record-breaking 22nd career World Cup goal with a powerful left-footed strike from 14 yards out, beating Henderson once again to find the back of the net.
Mbappé’s second strike pulled France within one goal of England at 3-4, though Les Bleus could not find the late equalizer needed to force extra time or turn the tie around. France’s run to the third-place match marked a near repeat of their consecutive final appearances in 2018 and 2022, but their bid for a third straight final spot fell short against Spain in a tightly contested semifinal defeat.
This is not the first time Mbappé has challenged Messi for World Cup honors. Four years ago at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Mbappé scored eight goals to claim the Golden Boot, even as France fell to Messi’s Argentina in a dramatic final that was decided by a penalty shootout.
Unlike the high-stakes pressure of the semifinal and final rounds, the third-place match is often seen as a contest that offers little more than a moral victory for eliminated teams. For Mbappé, however, it provided the perfect stage to etch his name deeper into World Cup history, with the Golden Boot also still within reach. England, meanwhile, fielded a weakened starting lineup for the match, with star forwards Harry Kane and midfield playmaker Jude Bellingham held out of the starting XI and never entering the match even after halftime.