Mbappe Becomes World Cup's All-Time Top Scorer, England Secures Third Place
Quick Look
- Kylian Mbappe became the World Cup's all-time top scorer with 22 goals after scoring twice in France's 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place play-off.
- England secured third place, marking their best World Cup performance since 1966, while Didier Deschamps concluded his tenure as France's head coach.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Kylian Mbappe set a new World Cup goalscoring record during the third-place play-off where France lost to England, marking Didier Deschamps' final game as France's coach.
France's Kylian Mbappe became the top scorer in World Cup history on Saturday after netting a 22nd goal in the third-place play-off against England.
However, his team suffered a 6-4 defeat to the Three Lions in Didier Deschamps's last match as France's head coach.
Mbappe is now one ahead of Argentina's Lionel Messi on the World Cup all-time goalscoring list. Messi will have a chance to win back the title when Argentina play in Sunday's final.
Mbappe's brace also saw the France captain move to the top of the race for the Golden Boot, which will be awarded to the player with the most goals in the tournament. He now has two more goals than Messi in the 2026 World Cup.
"Messi is going to score (on Sunday), that's for sure. I'm just trying to help my team win. When you score a lot of goals at the World Cup, it puts you in a certain category," Mbappe said.
"I would have preferred not to be the all-time top scorer and to be playing tomorrow's match. It's good in terms of legacy, but today it's not the first thing on my mind," he added.
England beat France 6-4 in wild World Cup bronze match
England were in complete control after scoring four first-half goals to leave France facing an embarrassing defeat.
Mbappe struck twice as Les Bleus battled back, but England held firm.
Saka scored a hat-trick for the Three Lions while Bellingham became the first England player to score seven goals at a single World Cup.
The result secured third place for England, the team's best World Cup performance since winning the tournament in 1966.
Deschamps's last dance for France
The third-place playoff at the World Cup was Deschamps' last game as France coach.
As a player, Deschamps led the French team to a World Cup title in 1998. As a coach, he guided France to World Cup glory in 2018 and a runner-up finish four years ago.
But Les Bleus missed their chance for a third consecutive final appearance after losing 2-0 against Spain in the semi-finals.
On Sunday, European champions Spain will face World Cup holders and South American champions Argentina in the final.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Lionel Messi will have a chance to reclaim the World Cup all-time goalscoring title.
Very likely · Within hours
Open Questions
- Who will replace Didier Deschamps as France's coach?
