Kylian Mbappé underlined why he remains one of football’s greatest winners, scoring twice as France beat Sweden 3-0 in the last 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for a draw. Lionel Messi atop the tournament’s Golden Boot standings.The France captain now has six goals in the tournament, matching Argentine superstar Messi, while also extending his remarkable World Cup legacy. Mbappe’s brace at the MetLife Stadium took his overall World Cup tally to 18 goals in just 18 appearances, leaving him just one behind Messi’s record of 19.France’s dominant win also set up a last-16 clash against surprise package Paraguay as Didier Deschamps’ side continued their march towards a third straight World Cup final.
The Golden Boot battle is heating up
With the pace of the knockout rounds, the Golden Boot race has become one of the biggest talking points of the tournament.Top five scorers:
- Kylian Mbappe (France) – 6 goals
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 6 goals
Erling Haaland (Norway) – 5 goalsOusmane Dembélé (France) – 4 goalsVinicius Junior (Brazil) – 4 goals
Mbappe’s latest brace also saw him become the top scorer in World Cup knockout history with 10 goals, overtaking Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Leônidas.Despite climbing alongside Messi in the scoring charts, the France boss insisted that individual milestones remain secondary to lifting the trophy.“I think the goal, as I said, is to go as far as possible – to make it to July 19 and come back here,” Mbappe said. “We are trying to win; we have to take it one step at a time. Of course, the more goals you score, the higher you climb in the ranking.”
“I don’t focus too much on it”
With their captain in red form, Les Bleus became the first nation in World Cup history to score at least three goals in five consecutive games.The 27-year-old rejected comparisons with Messi in the race for World Cup records.“I’m also convinced that Leo will score more goals, because I’m not too focused on that. I’m more focused on the opponents we can face and how close we are to our goal: the final,” he said.France have now outscored opponents 13-2 at the tournament, while Mbappe’s red-hot form has turned the Golden Boot race into a fascinating duel with Messi as the World Cup enters its decisive phase.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Top-Scorers: Beyond the Top 5
- Three goals each: Deniz Undav (Germany), Johan Manzambi (Switzerland), Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), Julian Quinones (Mexico), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Brian Brobbery (Netherlands), Matheus Cunha (Brazil), Harry Kane (England), Elijah Just (New Zealand), Yoane Wissa (Cape Verde), Jonathan Ismail Saibari (Canada) and Hacco Verde (Canada) (Germany).
