Kylian Mbappé, one step away from making history at the World Cup: He’s going for a new all-time record

As if it weren’t enough that Kylian Mbappé was crowned world champion in 2018 and runner-up in 2022—and that he is also the tournament’s second-leading scorer—he is on the verge of adding another historic milestone to his World Cup career.

The French forward could become the all-time leading scorer in knockout matches in the tournament’s history if he maintains his streak during the 2026 World Cup and manages to add another goal to his tally.

Mbappé challenges World Cup history

His ability to step up in decisive matches has made Kylian one of the most influential players in World Cup history. As a result, the 27-year-old forward has scored 8 goals in knockout-round matches, a total that places him at the top of the all-time list.

Much of that record was set at Qatar 2022, where Kylian scored a historic hat trick in the Final against Argentina and a brace against Poland. At Russia 2018, he scored a brace against Argentina in the Round of 16 and found the net against Croatia in the Final.

However, despite topping this ranking, he is joined by two great legends of Brazilian soccer: Leônidas da Silva and Ronaldo Nazário. For this reason, in his next matchagainst Sweden in the World Cup Round of 32, he could become the sole holder of this exclusive record if he manages to score another goal.

Behind Kylian, with 7 goals, are players such as Pelé, Vavá, and Just Fontaine. With 6 goals, names like Eusébio, Gary Lineker, and Roberto Baggio appear, while Lionel Messi, Thomas Müller, Zinedine Zidane, and Miroslav Klose stand out with 5 goals each.

Mbappé, who has played 100 matches for Les Bleus, already holds another unique record: he is the player with the most goals scored in World Cup finals, thanks to the four goals he has scored between Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. In addition, he remains in the running to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cuphistory: with 16 goals, he is just three behind Lionel Messi.

Meanwhile, his progress keeps him as the top contender to break records that for years seemed unattainable, cementing his status as one of the most influential players in the tournament’s history. Now, he is preparing to face Sweden, where—beyond his personal achievements—he will fight to lead the team to the next round.

The match between France and Sweden will take place this Tuesday, June 30, at 5:00 PM ET at the New York-New Jersey Stadium.