Mbappe sets new records at World Cup, leads Golden Boot race

By Arjun Nair / 10.07.2026

By Arjun Nair — 10 July 2026 — 3 min read

Kylian Mbappe has continued to make an impact at the World Cup, achieving several new records for France. His recent performance, including a goal against Morocco in Boston during France’s 2-0 quarter-final victory, has placed him at the forefront of the Golden Boot standings.

The French captain’s goal against Morocco brought him level with Lionel Messi for non-penalty goals in the tournament. Both players now have 17 non-penalty goals across their World Cup appearances. This strike also increased Mbappe’s overall World Cup goal tally to 20, putting him one goal behind Messi on the all-time list.

France’s Leading Scorer

Mbappe has become France’s all-time top goal scorer in the World Cup. His goal against Senegal in France’s tournament opener marked his 14th World Cup goal, surpassing Just Fontaine’s previous record of 13 goals, all of which were scored in the 1958 World Cup. He now holds the record for most World Cup goals for France.

Beyond World Cup specific records, Mbappe has also become France’s all-time top goal scorer for the national side. He surpassed Olivier Giroud after his goal against Senegal, now standing alone with 64 goals for France, while Giroud has 57. Thierry Henry is third with 51 goals, and Antoine Griezmann is fourth with 44 goals.

In terms of World Cup appearances for France, Mbappe is now a joint record holder, matching Hugo Lloris with 20 appearances in finals. He achieved this milestone as the youngest player to reach this number of appearances.

Knockout Stage and Goal Contributions

Mbappe’s first goal against Sweden established him as the leading goal scorer in World Cup knockout matches, surpassing Brazilian players Leonidas and Ronaldo. He scored again against Sweden, and added goals against Paraguay and Morocco, accumulating 12 World Cup knockout goals.

The French forward also set a new record for goal contributions. His assist for Ousmane Dembele’s goal against Morocco made him the first player to register 11 direct goal contributions in two different World Cups. He achieved double figures at the Qatar World Cup 2022 with eight goals and two assists, and has improved upon those figures in the current tournament. This achievement makes him the first player since 1966 to have 10 or more goal contributions in two separate tournaments.

Golden Boot Race

Mbappe currently leads the Golden Boot standings despite being level on goals with Messi, both having eight goals in the tournament. The tie-breaking rules for the Golden Boot prioritise assists. Mbappe has registered eight goals and three assists, totaling 11 direct goal contributions, while Messi has eight goals and one assist, resulting in nine goal contributions.

This assist advantage places Mbappe ahead in the Golden Boot race. The competition for the award remains active, with other players like Norway’s Erling Haaland and England captain Harry Kane also in contention. Haaland has seven goals, and Kane has six goals and one assist.

Mbappe’s strike against Morocco was his 20th career World Cup goal across 20 tournament appearances. Messi, with 21 goals in 31 appearances across six editions of the tournament (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026), continues to lead the all-time men’s World Cup scoring chart. Messi also holds the record for most World Cup assists, with nine career assists, surpassing Diego Maradona.

The Golden Boot race is expected to continue through the remaining knockout matches of the tournament.

Source: aljazeera.com