Kylian Mbappe he underlined why he remains one of the best in the game of football, scoring twice as France beat Sweden 3-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 to reach them. Lionel Messi top of the standings for the tournament’s Golden Boot.The France captain now has six goals in the tournament, equal to Argentina superstar Messi, as he extends his impressive World Cup legacy. Mbappe’s heroics at the MetLife Stadium took his tally to 18 World Cup goals in just 18 games, leaving him just one behind Messi’s all-time record of 19.France’s big win set up a Round of 16 clash against a surprise Paraguay side as Didier Deschamps’ side continued their journey to a third consecutive World Cup final.
The battle for the Golden Boot has begun
Due to the level of competition, the Golden Boot competition has become one of the biggest talking points in the competition.The top five:
- Kylian Mbappe (France) – 6 goals
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 6 goals
Erling Haaland (Norway) – 5 goalsOusmane Dembélé (France) – 4 goalsVinicius Junior (Brazil) – 4 goals
Mbappe’s latest double saw him become the top scorer at the World Cup with 10 goals, overtaking Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Leônidas.Despite being level with Messi on the goals, the French captain insisted that the experience will not be secondary to lifting the trophy.“I think the goal, as I said, is to go as far as possible – to get to July 19 and come back here,” Mbappe said. “We’re trying to win; we’re taking it one step at a time. Of course, the more goals you score, the higher you go in the rankings.”
‘I don’t focus too much on that’
With their captain on fire, Les Bleus became the first country in World Cup history to score at least three goals in five consecutive games.The 27-year-old has refused to be compared to Messi in the race for World Cup history.“I’m also sure that Leo will get more goals, so I don’t focus on that. I focus on the opponents we will face and how close we are to our goal: the final,” he said.France have now outscored their opponents 13-2 in the competition, with Mbappe’s red-hot form turning the Golden Boot race into an exciting contest with Messi as the World Cup reaches its climax.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Top Winners: Top 5 Winners
- Three goals each: Deniz Undav (Germany), Johan Manzambi (Switzerland), Ismaila Sarr (Senegal), Julian Quinones (Mexico), Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Brian Brobbery (Netherlands), Matheus Cunha (Brazil), Harry Kane (England), Elijah Just (New Zealand), Yoane Wissa (Cabo Verde), Jonathan David (Canada), Ismail Saibari Kaibari (Germany).
