Kylian Mbappé shone again, contributing two goals in France’s 3-0 victory over Iraq. With this performance, the French striker reached the mark of 16 goals in World Cups, equaling Miroslav Klose among the greatest scorers in the history of the tournament and intensifying the dispute for top scorer with Lionel Messi.
Mbappé’s response came hours after Lionel Messi surpassed Klose, registering 18 goals after finding the net twice in Argentina’s match against Austria, held last Monday.
The number 10 of the French team then also scored twice, but preferred to devalue the direct competition with the Argentine star at this crucial moment in the competition.
“There is no rivalry at all,” said the athlete. “Leo has always scored and will continue to score goals. I don’t pay attention to what he does, as that would require even greater dedication,” declared Mbappé, as published by the newspaper L’Équipe.
The striker reinforced that his focus remains on the team. “My focus is on my team. By scoring goals, we get closer to a select group, but the key is to monitor our progress as a team”, he added.
Although he has a lower total number than the Argentine veteran, Mbappé displays an impressive statistic: an average of one goal per game played in World Cups.
The talented player wore the number 10 shirt in 16 matches in the 2018, 2022 and 2026 editions of the world championship, totaling precisely 16 balls in the net.
For comparison purposes, the striker, who currently plays for Real Madrid, achieved Klose’s feat in just 16 appearances. In contrast, Lionel Messi needed 27 games to reach his 18 goals, while Miroslav Klose himself surpassed Ronaldo Fenômeno’s previous mark with 23 games played. This efficiency data from Mbappé, achieving the same number of goals as Klose in far fewer games, is a point that stands out when analyzing the performance of historical top scorers.
“I don’t aim for the title of top scorer. For me, the essential thing is that we maintain a collective organization that gives us confidence in our ability. I always score goals in World Cups, so it’s not something that worries me”, insisted Mbappé.
The player concluded by declaring: “I wish, above all, that the team advances, as we will be challenged rigorously if we want to reach the championship decision.”
With a hundred games for the French team, Mbappé will have his next challenge in the third round of the World Cup before Messi. In previous rounds, both teams entered the field on the same day.
The French team will compete for the leadership of Group I next Friday, at 4pm (Brasília time), in Boston, against Norway. On the other hand, Argentina will play against Jordan in Dallas, on Saturday, at 11pm (Brasília time). This schedule gives the France striker a chance to step up the pressure on his Argentine rival.