Is Mbappé the Next Messi? He Just Matched His World Cup Goal Record

TL;DR: Kylian Mbappé has surged toward Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup goal record during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, sparking widespread debate about whether the French superstar has surpassed or equaled Messi’s historic tally. Official FIFA records and social media claims have clashed over the exact numbers, but the broader conversation is clear: Mbappé is cementing his place among the greatest World Cup scorers in football history. Here is what we know about the record, the numbers, and the legacy comparison between two generational talents.

The debate over whether Kylian Mbappé has equaled Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup goal record has dominated football conversation during the 2026 tournament. After scoring prolifically in the group stage and knockout rounds on American, Canadian, and Mexican soil, Mbappé’s career World Cup tally has drawn level with — or in some counts surpassed — the Argentine legend’s benchmark, reigniting the sport’s most compelling generational comparison.

Quick Answer

Kylian Mbappé has been scoring at a historic rate during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, pushing his career tournament goal total to approximately 13 or more, which puts him at or near Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup goal record. Official FIFA tallies and social media reports have offered slightly different numbers, with some sources indicating Mbappé remains one goal short of Messi’s mark while others declare the record equaled or broken.

How Many World Cup Goals Does Mbappé Have Now?

Heading into the 2026 World Cup, Mbappé carried a career tournament total of approximately 12 World Cup goals — scored across his breakout performance at the 2018 Russia World Cup and his prolific, Golden Boot–winning campaign at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. During the 2026 tournament, Mbappé continued his relentless scoring form, netting multiple goals in the group stage and adding more in the knockout rounds.

Reports from outlets including KING5.com confirmed Mbappé scored his eighth goal of the 2026 World Cup during the tournament, equaling Lionel Messi for the most goals in a single World Cup edition. That output has pushed his career total into territory that matches or exceeds Messi’s all-time mark. However, the Crypto Briefing reported that while social media

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