France star Kylian Mbappé added another remarkable chapter to his FIFA World Cup legacy by scoring in France’s 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Morocco, breaking multiple records and surpassing Lionel Messi in one of the tournament’s most prestigious milestones.
Paris, France – Web Desk: Mbappé found the net in the 60th minute, becoming the fastest player in FIFA World Cup history to reach 20 goals. The 27-year-old achieved the landmark in just 20 World Cup matches, eclipsing Lionel Messi, who reached the same tally in 30 appearances.
The French forward has scored his 20 World Cup goals across three editions of the tournament—2018, 2022, and 2026—further cementing his status as one of football’s greatest World Cup performers.
At 27 years and 201 days, Mbappé also became the youngest player to score 20 World Cup goals. His tally includes four goals in 2018, eight in 2022, and eight in the ongoing 2026 tournament.
The goal also made Mbappé the highest-scoring player in FIFA World Cup knockout-stage history, taking his total to 12 knockout goals.
In another landmark achievement, Mbappé became the first French footballer to be directly involved in 100 international goals, with 64 goals and 36 assists for France.
With eight goals and three assists in the current tournament, Mbappé has also become the first player since 1966 to register more than 10 goal contributions in two different FIFA World Cup editions.
His 14 goal contributions in World Cup knockout matches now equal Lionel Messi’s tally, the joint-highest recorded over the past six decades.
