Kylian Mbappé leads artillery in two World Cups and makes history in world football

Kylian Mbappé etched his name in football history by becoming the first athlete to be the top scorer in two editions of the World Cup. France’s talented number 10 achieved the feat in 2022, with eight goals, and repeated his success in the 2026 World Cup, scoring ten goals. Mbappé’s performance, which included two goals in the match against England for third place, where France lost 6-4, allowed him to surpass Lionel Messi and win the Golden Boot in the tournament held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With two more goals than the Argentine star, Mbappé also surpassed Messi on the list of all-time top scorers in the competition, consolidating his position as one of the greatest scorers in the history of football in an increasingly competitive global scenario, as announced on July 19, 2026.

The French team had already had another great scorer in World Cups in the past, with Just Fontaine. The legendary striker was the leading scorer in the 1958 tournament, held in Sweden, setting a record of 13 goals that remains unbeaten to this day.

Historic goalscorers in different editions of the World Cup

• 2026 – Mbappé (France): 10 goals
• 2022 – Mbappé (France): 8
• 2018 – Harry Kane (England): 6
• 2014 – James Rodríguez (Colombia): 6
• 2010 – Forlán (Uruguay), Sneijder (Netherlands), Thomas Müller (Germany) and Villa (Spain)
• 2006 – Klose (Germany): 5
• 2002 – Ronaldo (Brazil): 8
• 1998 – Suker (Croatia): 6
• 1994 – Salenko (Russia) and Stoichkov (Bulgaria): 6
• 1990 – Schillaci (Italy): 6
• 1986 – Gary Lineker (England): 6
• 1982 – Paolo Rossi (Italy): 6
• 1978 – Mario Kempes (Argentina): 6
• 1974 – Lato (Poland): 7
• 1970 – Gerd Müller (Germany): 10
• 1966 – Eusébio (Portugal): 9
• 1962 – Drazan Jerkovic (Yugoslavia), Flórián Albert (Hungary), Garrincha (Brazil), Leonel Sánchez (Chile), Valentin Ivanov (Soviet Union) and Vavá (Brazil): 4
• 1958 – Just Fontaine (France): 13
• 1954 – Kocsis (Hungary): 11
• 1950 – Ademir Menezes (Brazil): 9
• 1938 – Lônidas da Silva (Brazil): 7
• 1934 – Nejedly (Czechoslovakia): 5
• 1930 – Guillermo Stábile (Argentina): 8

The competition for the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup was intense and exciting. Messi led the top scorers list from the start of the tournament, maintaining the lead until the semi-finals. However, the Argentine star failed to score in his last three games for Argentina, paving the way for Mbappé, who took the definitive lead after finding the net twice against England, in the third place decision, one day before the grand final.

Another French player who shone at the 2026 World Cup was midfielder Olise. He was the tournament’s leader in assists, with a total of seven assists on goal, surpassing his teammates Mbappé, Messi (Argentina), Bruno Guimarães (Brazil), Brahim Díaz (Morocco) and Odegaard (Norway) by three assists.

Top scorers of the 2026 World Cup

1. Mbappé (France): 10
2. Messi (Argentina): 8
3. Bellingham (England) and Haaland (Norway): 7
5. Dembélé (France) and Harry Kane (England): 6
7. Oyarzabal (Spain): 5
8. Vini Jr. (Brazil), Quiñones (Mexico) and Ismaila Sarr (Senegal): 4
11. Havertz (Germany), Undav (Germany), Lautaro Martínez (Argentina), De Ketelaere (Belgium), Lukaku (Belgium), Matheus Cunha (Brazil), Jonathan David (Canada), Balogun (United States), Barcola (France), Brobbey (Netherlands), Gakpo (Netherlands), Saka (England), Saibari (Morocco), Raúl Jiménez (Mexico), Just (New Zealand), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Wissa (DR Congo) and Manzambi (Switzerland): 3
29. Enzo Fernández (Argentina), Mahrez (Algeria), Arnautovic (Austria), Tielemans (Belgium), Trossard (Belgium), Mahmic (Bosnia), Larin (Canada), Muñoz (Colombia), Diallo (Ivory Coast), Pépé (Ivory Coast), Ashour (Egypt), Zico (Egypt), Merino (Spain), Pedro Porro (Spain), Tillman (United States), Summerville (Netherlands), Rezaeian (Iran), Kamada (Japan), Ueda (Japan), Ounahi (Morocco), Rahimi (Morocco), Pape Gueye (Senegal), Ayari (Sweden), Elanga (Sweden), Embolo (Switzerland), Ndoye (Switzerland), Vargas (Switzerland) and Maxi Araújo (Uruguay): 2
57. Maseko (South Africa), Mokoena (South Africa), Brown (Germany), Musiala (Germany), Nmecha (Germany), Sané (Germany), Schlotterbeck (Germany), Al-Amri (Saudi Arabia), Cuti Romero (Argentina), Julián Álvarez (Argentina), Lisandro Martínez (Argentina), Lo Celso (Argentina), Mac Allister (Argentina), Belghali (Algeria), Benbouali (Algeria), Gouiri (Algeria), Irankunda (Australia), Metcalfe (Australia), Kalajdzic (Austria), Sabitzer (Austria), Schmid (Austria), De Bruyne (Belgium), Saelemaekers (Belgium), Vanaken (Belgium), Alajbegovic (Bosnia), Lukic (Bosnia), Casemiro (Brazil), Gabriel Martinelli (Brazil), Neymar (Brazil), Deroy Duarte (Cape Verde), Hélio Varela (Cape Verde), Kevin Pina (Cape Verde), Sidny Cabral (Cape Verde), Eustáquio (Canada), Promise David (Canada), Saliba (Canada), Al-Haydos (Qatar), Campaz (Colombia), Jhon Arias (Colombia), Luis Díaz (Colombia), Hwang In-Beom (South Korea), Oh Hyeon-Gyu (South Korea), Kessié (Ivory Coast), Baturina (Croatia), Budimir (Croatia), Musa (Croatia), Perisic (Croatia), Petar Sucic (Croatia), Vlasic (Croatia), Comenencia (Curaçao), Saber (Egypt), Salah (Egypt), Trézéguet (Egypt), Yasser Ibrahim (Egypt), Angulo (Ecuador), Plata (Ecuador), McGinn (Scotland), Baena (Spain), Fabián Ruiz (Spain), Ferran Torres (Spain), Lamine Yamal (Spain), Berhalter (United States), Freeman (United States), Reyna (United States), Trusty (United States), Doué (France), Luckassen (Ghana), Yirenkyi (Ghana), Isidor (Haiti), Van Dijk (Netherlands), Van Hecke (Netherlands), Gordon (England), Konsa (England), Rashford (England), Rice (England), Mohebi (Iran), Aymen Hussein (Iraq), Junya Ito (Japan), Maeda (Japan), Nakamura (Japan), Sano (Japan), Al-Rashdan (Jordan), Al-Tamari (Jordan), Olwan (Jordan), Diop (Morocco ), Hakimi (Morocco), Yassine (Morocco), Fidalgo (Mexico), Mateo Chávez (Mexico), Romo (Mexico), Aasgaard (Norway), Nusa (Norway), Ostigaard (Norway), Pedersen (Norway), Schjelderup (Norway), Surman (New Zealand), Enciso (Paraguay), Galarza (Paraguay), Maurício (Paraguay), Gonçalo Ramos (Portugal), João Neves (Portugal), Nuno Mendes (Portugal), Rafael Leão (Portugal), Cipenga (DR Congo), Mayele (RD Congo), Krejcí (Czech Republic), Sadilek (Czech Republic), Diarra (Senegal), Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal), Mbaye (Senegal), Seck (Senegal), Gyökeres (Sweden), Isak (Sweden), Svanberg (Sweden),

2026 World Cup assist statistics

1. Olise (France): 7
2. Messi (Argentina), Bruno Guimarães (Brazil), Mbappé (France), Brahim Díaz (Morocco) and Odegaard (Norway): 4
7. Wirtz (Germany), Gordon (England), Saka (England), Alvarado (Mexico), Schjelderup (Norway), Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal) and Isak (Sweden): 3
14. Kimmich (Germany), Undav (Germany), Aouar (Algeria), Alaba (Austria), Raskin (Belgium), Trossard (Belgium), Saliba (Canada), Stanisic (Croatia), Salah (Egypt), Cucurella (Spain), Dani Olmo (Spain), Dembélé (France), Dumfries (Netherlands), Gravenberch (Netherlands), Summerville (Netherlands), Rice (England), Hakimi (Morocco), Berg (Norway), Wood (New Zealand), Enciso (Paraguay), Camara (Senegal), Gyökeres (Sweden), Embolo (Switzerland), Manzambi (Switzerland) and Hannibal (Tunisia): 2
39. Moremi (South Africa), Amiri (Germany), Brown (Germany), Nmecha (Germany), Mahrez (Algeria), De Paul (Argentina), Flaco López (Argentina), Lautaro Martínez (Argentina), Lisandro Martínez (Argentina), Mac Allister (Argentina), Medina (Argentina), Montiel (Argentina), Nico González (Argentina), Okon-Engstler (Australia), Gregoritsch (Austria), Laimer (Austria), Xaver Schlager (Austria), Castagne (Belgium), De Ketelaere (Belgium), Lukaku (Belgium), Meunier (Belgium), Vanaken (Belgium), Basic (Bosnia), Hadzikadunic (Bosnia) (Brazil), Lucas Paquetá (Brazil), Rayan (Brazil), Vini Jr. (Brazil), Ryan Mendes (Cape Verde), Yannick Semedo (Cape Verde), Promise David (Canada), Edmilson Júnior (Qatar), Cucho Hernández (Colombia), Luis Díaz (Colombia), Luis Suárez (Colombia), Puerta (Colombia), Quintero (Colombia), Hwang In-Beom (South Korea), Kang-In (South Korea), Pépé (Ivory Coast), Sangaré (Ivory Coast), Singo (Ivory Coast), Yan Diomandé (Ivory Coast), Kovacic (Croatia), Modric (Croatia), Perisic (Croatia), Petar Sucic (Croatia), Attia (Egypt), Hafez (Egypt), Hany (Egypt), Hassan (Egypt), Zico (Egypt), Kevin Rodríguez (Ecuador), Vite (Ecuador), Baena (Spain), Laporte (Spain), Llorente (Spain), Merino (Spain), Nico Williams (Spain), Oyarzabal (Spain), Berhalter (United States), Pulisic (United States), Freeman (United States), Tillman (United States), Barcola (France), Doué (France), Rabiot (France), Tchouaméni (France), Upamecano (France), Nuamah (Ghana), Duverne (Haiti), Thomas-Asante (Ghana), Gakpo (Netherlands), Memphis Depay (Netherlands), Reijnders (Netherlands), Van Dijk (Netherlands), Bellingham (England), Elliot Anderson (England), Eze (England), Harry Kane (England), Rashford (England), Rogers (England), Moghanlou (Iran), Rezaeian (Iran), Al-Ammari (Iraq), Doan (Japan), Itakura (Japan), Kubo (Japan), Nakamura (Japan), Ogawa (Japan), Sano (Japan), Ueda (Japan), Al-Rawabdeh (Jordan), Al-Tamari (Jordan), Haddad (Jordan), Rahimi (Morocco), Riyadh (Morocco), Talbi (Morocco), Érik Lira (Mexico), Quiñones (Mexico), Romo (Mexico), Wolfe (Norway), Payne (New Zealand), Galarza (Paraguay), Bruno Fernandes (Portugal), João Cancelo (Portugal), Pedro Neto (Portugal), Rafael Leão (Portugal), Elia (DR Congo), Masuaku (RD Congo), Mbemba (RD Congo), Coufal (Czech Republic), Sojka (Czech Republic), Mané (Senegal), Niakhaté (Senegal), Nicolas Jackson (Senegal), Pape Gueye (Senegal), Bergvall (Sweden), Ricardo Rodríguez (Switzerland), Vargas (Switzerland), Elmali (Turkey), Yilmaz (Turkey), Maxi Araújo (Uruguay) and Mozgovoy (Uzbekistan): 1