France captain Kylian Mbappé marked his 100th international appearance in style, scoring twice in a 3-0 victory over Iraq to move within touching distance of Lionel Messi’s FIFA World Cup scoring record.
The brace lifted Mbappé to 16 World Cup goals, drawing him level with Germany legend Miroslav Klose in second place on the all-time list. He now trails Messi by just two goals after the Argentina captain reached 18 earlier on Monday.
KYLIAN MBAPPE REACHES ANOTHER MILESTONE
The milestone performance came at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, where Mbappé wasted little time opening the scoring with a powerful long-range strike in the 14th minute.
The match was then interrupted by severe weather, with players and supporters forced to wait more than two hours before play resumed.
Once back on the pitch, Mbappé capitalised on a defensive mistake to grab his second goal of the evening in the 54th minute. Ousmane Dembélé later completed the scoring as France booked their place in the Round of 32.
Defender Jules Koundé praised his captain after the final whistle, saying everyone in the squad hopes to see him continue breaking records.
LIONEL MESSI STILL LEADS THE WAY
Earlier in the day, Messi stole the headlines by scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Austria, despite missing an early penalty.
The double saw the 38-year-old become the outright leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history with 18 goals, moving ahead of Klose.
With both Argentina and France safely through to the knockout rounds, the race is far from over.
All-time FIFA World Cup goals
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 18
- Kylian Mbappé (France) – 16
- Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16
- Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) – 15
- Gerd Müller (West Germany) – 14
- Just Fontaine (France) – 14.
While Messi currently holds the record, the 27-year-old Mbappé continues to close the gap, setting up one of the most compelling storylines of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
France will conclude their Group I campaign against Norway on Thursday, 25 June, in a clash that could decide top spot in the group.
Argentina, meanwhile, return to action on the same day against Jordan in their final Group J fixture, with Messi expected to have another opportunity to extend his all-time FIFA World Cup scoring record while Mbappé continues his pursuit of history.
