Mbappé's 19th World Cup Goal Narrows Gap with Messi
Kylian Mbappé converted a penalty in the World Cup round-of-16 to record his 19th tournament goal, narrowing the gap with Lionel Messi and keeping him in the Golden Boot race, AP reported. AP noted that Messi, Mbappé and Erling Haaland each added two goals in their group-stage matches, tightening the competition for the top scorer. Fox News reported the same trio scored twice in the 2026 World Cup group games, with Messi also breaking the all-time World Cup scoring record.
AP later highlighted that Messi reached 18 career World Cup goals and had five in Argentina’s first two matches, while Mbappé’s tally rose to 16 after four goals for France. NDTV Sports added that Messi’s free-kick against Jordan gave him six tournament goals, extending his lead in the Golden Boot race as Argentina celebrated its 50th World Cup victory. The New York Times reported France defeated Sweden 3-0 on World Cup day 20, with Mbappé and Haaland each achieving personal scoring milestones.
