2026 World Cup: Kylian Mbappé moves ahead of Lionel Messi before Spain and Argentina meet in the final

Kylian Mbappé heads into the closing stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup having overtaken Lionel Messi in both the tournament’s scoring race and the all-time World Cup goalscoring rankings after scoring twice in France’s victory over England.

The France captain delivered another decisive display in Saturday’s third-place play-off, finding the net twice to inspire his side’s comeback.

His latest brace took his tally to 10 goals at the 2026 tournament, placing him two goals clear of Argentina captain Lionel Messi before Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and Argentina.

Mbappé’s performance also saw him reach another milestone beyond the current competition.

The Real Madrid forward now has 22 World Cup goals across three tournaments, moving ahead of Messi, who has scored 21 in his World Cup career.

The achievement means the French striker enters the final day of the tournament as the leading scorer in Qatar and the player at the top of the all-time World Cup scoring list, despite France missing out on a place in the final after their semi-final defeat to Spain.

France captain finishes tournament on a high

Although France’s hopes of lifting the World Cup ended in the semi-finals, Mbappé ensured his campaign concluded on a positive note.

Facing England in the third-place match, the striker produced another clinical performance in front of goal.

His two goals helped France recover during the contest while strengthening his position at the top of the Golden Boot standings.

The brace marked his fourth two-goal performance of the tournament, underlining the consistency that has characterised his campaign.

Beyond helping France finish the competition with a victory, the goals also elevated him above Messi in the historical scoring rankings, adding another personal achievement to an already memorable tournament.

Messi prepares for another World Cup final

While Mbappé’s World Cup journey has come to an end, attention now turns to Lionel Messi and Argentina.

The defending champions will face Spain on Sunday with another world title at stake, giving Messi one final opportunity in the tournament to add to his goal tally.

Despite moving ahead of the Argentine in the scoring charts, Mbappé believes his long-time rival will continue making an impact.

Speaking to M6 after France’s victory over England, the French captain said:

“Leo always scores. And tomorrow, he’s going to score again. That’s for sure.”

The comment reflected Mbappé’s admiration for Messi, even after overtaking him in the statistical rankings.

Final set for Spain and Argentina

Argentina secured their place in the World Cup final after defeating England in the semi-finals, while Spain booked their spot by overcoming France.

That result means the tournament will conclude with a meeting between the reigning world champions and a Spain side aiming to claim the trophy once again.

As Messi prepares to lead Argentina into another World Cup final, Mbappé will watch from the sidelines knowing he has already left a lasting mark on the competition.

His goals against England ensured he finishes the tournament as its leading scorer while also moving to the top of the World Cup’s all-time scoring list, making him one of the standout performers of the 2026 edition.

Whether Messi adds to his tally in the final remains to be seen, but Mbappé’s latest display has ensured that, on the eve of football’s biggest match, the France captain has firmly placed himself at the centre of the tournament’s record books.