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Kylian Mbappe scores twice as France star chases Lionel Messi World Cup record

Mbappe opened the scoring with a superb individual effort after combining with Ousmane Dembele before beating Viktor Gyokeres

Published July 01, 2026
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Kylian Mbappe scores twice as France star chases Lionel Messi World Cup record
Kylian Mbappe scores twice as France star chases Lionel Messi World Cup record

Mbappe opened the scoring with a superb individual effort after combining with Ousmane Dembele before beating Viktor Gyokeres

France forward Kylian Mbappe moved within one goal of Lionel Messi on the FIFA World Cup's all-time scoring list after netting twice in his side's victory over Sweden.

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The score took Mbappe's World Cup tally to 18 goals, leaving him just one behind Messi and also drew level with the Argentina captain in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot, with both players now on six goals.

According to the Associated Press, Mbappe opened the scoring with a superb individual effort after combining with Ousmane Dembele before beating Viktor Gyokeres and finishing past goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.

He added his second in the 74th minute by converting a pass from Michael Olise to give France a commanding 3-0 lead.

Mbappe celebrated his first goal by running straight to head coach Didier Deschamps, who had returned to the touchline after missing France's final group match following the death of his mother.

The 27-year-old has now scored 18 World Cup goals in just 18 appearances, reaching the milestone in significantly fewer matches than Messi, who has played 29 games at the tournament.

France dominated throughout the match, outshooting Sweden 15-3 in the opening half despite playing in temperatures of around 32C and poor air quality at MetLife Stadium.

Mbappe was substituted in the 85th minute after another record-breaking performance.

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