French forward Kylian Mbappé has achieved a remarkable milestone by scoring 10 goals in a single FIFA World Cup tournament, the first player to do so in 56 years, enhancing his chances of winning the Golden Boot at the 2026 North America tournament.
On July 19, in the third-place match against England at Miami Stadium, Mbappé scored two goals and provided one assist. However, France struggled defensively, conceding four goals in the first half and ultimately losing 6-4, finishing the tournament in fourth place.
Mbappé scored in the 48th and 66th minutes, bringing his total to 10 goals and 4 assists for the tournament. The last player to score double digits in a single World Cup was Gerd Müller of West Germany, who netted 10 goals in the 1970 Mexico tournament.
Additionally, Mbappé set a new record for the most attacking points in a single World Cup, totaling 14. The previous record was held by Just Fontaine of France (13 goals) in 1958 and Müller (10 goals, 3 assists) in 1970.
Mbappé also became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, with 22 goals across three tournaments, surpassing Lionel Messi of Argentina, who has 21 goals.
His chances of becoming the first player to win the Golden Boot in consecutive World Cups have increased. Currently, Mbappé leads the scoring chart with 10 goals and 4 assists, two goals ahead of Messi, who has 8 goals and 4 assists.
The Golden Boot is awarded based on goals scored, assists, and minutes played. Both players have the same number of assists, but Mbappé has played 769 minutes compared to Messi's 712 minutes, who still has the final match to play.
Therefore, if Messi does not score at least two goals and provide one assist in the final on July 20, the Golden Boot will go to Mbappé.
However, Mbappé appears to be focused more on team success than personal records. In a post-match interview, he stated, "I wanted to challenge for the trophy more than becoming the all-time leading scorer. Scoring is a good thing for my achievements, but it wasn't my top priority today."
Meanwhile, England secured their victory with a powerful performance, including a hat trick from Bukayo Saka. This marks their best World Cup finish in 60 years since winning the tournament on home soil in 1966.
The 10 goals scored by both teams set a new record for the highest-scoring third-place match in World Cup history, surpassing the previous record of 9 goals in the 1958 match between France and West Germany (6-3).
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.