Kylian Mbappé all but secured the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot with a dominant performance in France's third-place match against England on July 18, 2026. The French forward netted two goals and provided an assist in the 6-4 loss, pushing his tournament total to 10 goals and four assists.
The match, played in Miami, saw a surprising lack of defensive intensity from both sides, resembling an exhibition game more than a World Cup final-round fixture. With key players like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham on the bench for England, and Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola for France, neither team appeared intent on risking fatigue so close to club season returns. England established a significant lead by halftime, but France mounted a second-half comeback, with Mbappé playing a central role.
With his brace, Mbappé surpassed Lionel Messi in World Cup all-time scoring, bringing his career total to 22 goals, one ahead of the Argentine legend. Messi had entered the day with eight goals for the tournament. To overtake Mbappé, Messi would likely need a hat trick in the upcoming final against Spain, or two goals and an assist to win on tiebreakers, a scenario described as an "almost impossible math problem."