Kylian Mbappé continued his footballing career by scoring the winning goal as France defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, moving within one goal. Lionel MessiHe is the all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup as he equals another Argentinian in the race for this year’s Golden Boot.The French captain calmly converted the second penalty in Philadelphia to send Didier Deschamps’ side into the quarterfinals, where they will face Morocco in the second leg of the 2022 World Cup. The strike was more than just the result. It was Mbappé’s seventh goal of the 2026 tournament, his 19th goal in a World Cup match and a record that continues to place him as one of the greatest players in the tournament’s history.
Mbappé closes Messi’s World Cup record
France’s decisive moment came in the 70th minute when Diego Gómez was adjudged to have fouled a French defender following a VAR review.Mbappé stepped forward from 12 yards and stuttered before sending Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way. The penalty ended a tough Round of 16 competition and had a lot of meaning.The goal took Mbappé to 19 World Cup goals in just 19 games, leaving him one behind Lionel Messi, who became the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with his 20th World Cup goal in Argentina’s 3-2 Round of 16 win over Cape Verde less than 24 hours earlier.
France’s Kylian Mbappe scores the opening goal against Paraguay in the World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The differences between these major events are also striking. Messi has scored 20 goals in 29 World Cup games, while Mbappé, 28, has already scored 19 goals in just 19 games and is still at the peak of his game.
Golden Boot competition after another last-gasp goal
The penalty also changed the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot.Mbappé now has seven goals at the 2026 World Cup, drawing level with Messi on the goalscoring record after the Argentina captain took first place.With both players finishing the tournament with goals, FIFA’s success rate favors the French captain, with assists ranked ahead of minutes played. Mbappé leads the team with two assists, while Messi has one following Argentina’s win against Cape Verde. Messi’s stats, however, have been the subject of renewed attention. He was initially thought to have finished the game with one goal and one assist (his first game of 2026), but the game report changed that record. In extra time, Messi gave away a corner that gave Argentina a 3-2 win, which was credited with assisting Cristian “Cuti” Romero after celebrating the goal. However, FIFA later ruled that it was his intention with Borges, removing support from Messi’s record.This means that if the competition ends today with both players still scoring seven goals, Mbappé will be awarded the Golden Boot.The race is still wide open to enter the quarterfinals, however. Norway striker Erling Haaland and England captain Harry Kane are both in contention with five goals apiece, while France winger Ousmane Dembélé has quietly climbed to four goals and two assists, giving Les Bleus several contenders near the top of the scoreboard.The current form of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot
- Kylian Mbappé (France): 7 goals, 2 assists
- Lionel Messi (Argentina): 7 goals, 1 assist
- Harry Kane (England): 5 goals
- Erling Haaland (Norway): 5 goals
- Ousmane Dembélé (France): 4 goals, 2 assists
The Knockout Champion continues to rewrite World Cup history
Mbappé’s recent strike has cemented the record for the best in world football.Having previously held the men’s World Cup record for goals scored in the previous tournament against Sweden, the Real Madrid forward has now equaled Messi for most World Cup goals, with 12 each.Mbappé’s record includes nine goals scored and three assists, matching Messi’s assists in the elimination game and confirming his reputation as one of football’s greatest players.His seventh goal of the tournament came after a prolific campaign in which he scored four times before adding three more in the knockout stages, continuing the consistency that earned him the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup.France’s victory also allows Mbappé to continue his pursuit of another World Cup title after Les Bleus narrowly missed out on a memorable final in 2022 against Argentina despite a hat-trick.With Morocco awaiting the quarter-finals on Thursday, July 9, at the Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Mbappé is now just one goal away from equaling Messi’s feat in the World Cup and has a slim chance in what promises to be one of the closest contests for the Golden Boot in the tournament’s recent history.
