Kylian Mbappé surpasses Lionel Messi on the all-time World Cup goalscoring list; approaching Miroslav Klose
Kylian Mbappé's two goals in France's 3-1 win over Senegal moved him up the all-time World Cup goals list, surpassing Pelé and Messi and tying Miroslav Klose's record.
Kylian Mbappé was the star as he scored twice in France's 3-1 win over Senegal in the match that opened their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign.
Mbappé entered the game with 12 career World Cup goals — tied with Pelé. His first goal in the 66th minute took him to 13, now level with Just Fontaine and Lionel Messi on the list.
With France 2-1 down thanks to a Senegal reduction in stoppage time, Mbappé responded immediately with a long-range drive past Édouard Mendy to restore the two-goal gap. That goal was his 14th World Cup goal, tying him with Gerd Müller for third on the all-time men's list.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://s.yimg.com/lo/mysterio/api/7e0e731caf34df254547e41f7aae33174464aecb64b5694abafbfaf3e36a2556/lightyear_networkapi/resizefill_w1200;quality_80;format_webp/https:%2F%2Fd29szjachogqwa.cloudfront.net%2Fimages%2F2026-06%2F183c5b2a-95f0-45a8-9bf6-b952116e4d49" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>On another important note, Mbappé's second goal also marked his 58th international goal — a mark that equaled Olivier Giroud's record as one of the top goalscorers for France.
The current ranking on the all-time World Cup goals list is: Ronaldo Nazário (15) and Miroslav Klose (16) are ahead. Mbappé achieved his 14 goals in 15 World Cup games, while Messi has 13 goals in 26 matches. Klose has scored 16 goals in 24 games in four editions of the World Cup. The extraordinary data of Just Fontaine who recorded 13 goals in one edition of the World Cup within six games will not be forgotten.
Apart from the personal milestone, Mbappé's performance contributed to France's attempt to get back on the big stage: the team now aims to achieve its third consecutive World Cup final. Mbappé also has a personal motivation to get the second Golden Boot of the tournament, after he surpassed Messi in Qatar 2022 (8-7) for the top scorer.
