Kylian Mbappé continued his relentless pursuit of football history by scoring the winning goal as France defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, moving within a goal of Lionel MessiThe all-time World Cup scoring record as he drew level with the Argentine superstar in the race for this year’s Golden Boot.The France captain calmly converted a second-half penalty in Philadelphia to send Didier Deschamps’ side into the quarter-finals, where they will meet Morocco in a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-finals. The strike was significant far beyond the result itself. It was Mbappé’s seventh goal of the 2026 tournament, his 19th career World Cup goal and another addition to a growing collection of records that continue to place him among the greatest players in the history of the competition.
Mbappé closes Messi’s all-time World Cup record
France’s decisive moment came in the 70th minute after Diego Gómez was adjudged to have cleared a French attack following a VAR review.Mbappé stepped forward from 12 yards and executed a trademark stuttering run before sending Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way. The penalty settled an otherwise tense Round of 16 contest and carried huge historical significance.The goal took Mbappé to 19 career World Cup goals in just 19 appearances, leaving him just one behind Lionel Messi, who became the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with his 20th World Cup goal during Argentina’s 3-2 Round of 16 win over Cape Verde less than 24 hours earlier.
France’s Kylian Mbappe scores the opening goal from the penalty spot against Paraguay during the World Cup Round of 16 soccer match in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The contrast between the two stages is equally remarkable. Messi has reached 20 goals in 29 World Cup appearances, while 28-year-old Mbappé has already amassed 19 goals from just 19 games and remains firmly in his career.
Golden Boot race level after another decisive elimination goal
The penalty also dramatically changed the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot.Mbappé now has seven goals at the 2026 World Cup, drawing level with Messi at the top of the scoring charts after the Argentina captain had briefly taken sole possession of the top spot.Should both players finish the tournament tied for goals, FIFA’s seeding criteria currently favor the French captain, with assists ranked before minutes played. Mbappé leads that category with two assists, while Messi has one after Argentina’s win over Cape Verde. Messi’s tally, however, has been the subject of some statistical review. Initially, it was thought that he finished that match with a goal and an assist (his first of the 2026 tournament), but the official report of the match later changed the record. In extra time, Messi took a corner that led to Argentina’s 3-2 winner, initially credited as an assist after Cristian “Cuti” Romero celebrated the goal. However, FIFA later ruled an own goal by Borges, removing the assist from Messi’s record.This means that the tournament ended today with both players still at the level of seven goals, Mbappé would be awarded the Golden Boot.However, the race remains open in the quarterfinals. Norway striker Erling Haaland and England captain Harry Kane remain firmly in contention with five goals each, while French winger Ousmane Dembélé has quietly climbed to four goals and two assists, giving Les Bleus several contenders near the top of the table.Current standings of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot
- Kylian Mbappé (France): 7 goals, 2 assists
- Lionel Messi (Argentina): 7 goals, 1 assist
- Harry Kane (England): 5 goals
- Erling Haaland (Norway): 5 goals
- Ousmane Dembélé (France): 4 goals, 2 assists
The knockout specialist continues to rewrite World Cup history
Mbappé’s latest strike also strengthened a remarkable record in world elimination football.Having already become the all-time men’s World Cup record holder for knockout stage goals prior to the tournament against Sweden, the Real Madrid striker has now also tied Messi for the most goals in World Cup knockout matches, with 12 each.Mbappé’s tally consists of nine elimination goals and three assists, matching Messi’s overall contribution in elimination games and underlining his reputation as one of football’s leading players.His seventh goal of this tournament came after a prolific group stage in which he scored four times before adding three more in the knockout stages, continuing the extraordinary consistency that previously earned him the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup.France’s victory also keeps alive Mbappé’s quest for another World Cup title after Les Bleus narrowly missed out on the unforgettable 2022 final against Argentina despite their hat-trick.With Morocco awaiting the quarter-finals on Thursday 9 July at the Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Mbappé is now just one goal away from equaling Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record and holds the narrow lead in what promises to be one of the closest golden races in the tournament’s recent history.
