Mbappé Closes In on Shattering Messi and Pelé's Historic Records

Ibrahim bin Mohammed from Riyadh

Friday, July 10, 2026, 1:26 PM | 2 minutes reading

French star Kylian Mbappé stands on the verge of completely rewriting the history of FIFA World Cup finals after leading his country to the final for the third consecutive time, cementing himself as an unprecedented goal-scoring phenomenon in the modern era.

The 27-year-old Real Madrid striker has achieved a remarkable milestone by reaching 20 goals in just 20 World Cup matches, an extraordinary average of a goal per game. He is now just one goal away from equaling the historic record held by Argentine legend Lionel Messi (21 goals in 31 matches).

Mbappé currently tops the Golden Boot race at the ongoing World Cup with 8 goals, tied with Messi. However, the French star has shown a new, all-round dimension by providing 3 assists (including two crucial passes in the 4-1 win over Norway), bringing his total goal involvements in this edition to 11, despite missing a penalty in the last semi-final against Morocco.

Mbappé began his World Cup career by winning the 2018 Russia title, scoring 4 goals, before exploding in Qatar 2022 with another 8 goals, including a historic hat-trick in the final.

Les Bleus' reach to the final puts France in an exclusive club that only West Germany (1982-1990) and Brazil (1994-2002) have previously entered, as the teams with the most consecutive World Cup final appearances (three). If crowned champions, Mbappé would win his second world title, joining the list of legends who have lifted the trophy twice, such as Brazilian Ronaldo.

The age and market value differences favor the French star. Mbappé sits atop the world market value rankings at 180 million euros, aged 27, with a contract until 2029, while Messi (39 years old) is playing his final World Cup with a market value of 15 million euros.

Transfermarkt, the platform specializing in player transfers and market values, believes that the current French squad's attacking strength and Mbappé's young age give him a full opportunity to participate in the 2030 and 2034 editions, paving the way not only to claim the all-time World Cup top scorer title but also to match the legendary achievement of the late Pelé as the only player to win the World Cup three times, thereby definitively settling the debate over the greatest player in the tournament's history.