Kylian Mbappé has admitted that Lionel Messi and his relentless goalscoring exploits at the FIFA World Cup come as no surprise.
The France captain warning that the Argentina icon “will always score” as the race to become football’s greatest World Cup marksman intensifies.
Fresh from scoring twice in France’s commanding victory over Senegal, Mbappé finds himself rapidly closing in on Messi in the all-time World Cup scoring charts.
This is setting up what could become one of the defining storylines of the 2026 tournament.
The Real Madrid superstar currently has 14 World Cup goals to his name, just two behind Messi, who drew level with Germany legend Miroslav Klose on 16 goals after producing a sensational hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria.
While many are already framing the battle as a duel between two generations, Mbappé insists he is not obsessed with overtaking his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate.
However, he made one thing abundantly clear, he expects Messi to keep rewriting history.
“I already knew Messi was going to keep scoring goals,” Mbappé, 27, said.
“He always does. He’s ahead of me and I’m behind him. I’ll keep scoring to help my national team go as far as possible.”
‘Messi Is the Best in the World’ – Mbappe
Mbappé and Messi shared two seasons together at Paris Saint-Germain, and the French captain remains full of admiration for the Argentine legend.
The 27-year-old said Messi’s stunning hat-trick against Algeria came as no surprise because the Inter Miami captain has spent nearly two decades proving he is among football’s all-time greats.
“It’s clear that Messi is the best in the world, and so is [Portugal captain] Cristiano [Ronaldo],” the France skipper said.
“For 16 years, he [Messi] has shown his extraordinary talent. I’m just trying to do what I know how to do: show my talent on the biggest stage possible and help my national team.”
Mbappé added that personal accolades remain secondary to his ultimate ambition, which is lifting football’s biggest prize once again.
“When you score goals, you’ve got a better chance of going far, and I want to win the World Cup.”
A Rivalry Reignited on Football’s Biggest Stage
Mbappé famously lifted the World Cup as a teenager in 2018 before coming agonisingly close to retaining the trophy in Qatar four years later.
Despite scoring a remarkable hat-trick in the 2022 final, the French superstar was denied a second winners’ medal as Messi inspired Argentina to a penalty shootout victory.
Now, four years later, the pair are once again among the tournament’s biggest attractions.
Messi, 38, has already become the first player in history to feature in six men’s World Cups and is now tied with Klose as the competition’s all-time leading scorer.
Mbappé, meanwhile, is determined to continue writing his own legacy.
Historic Milestone Awaits Mbappé
France’s Group I encounter against Iraq in Philadelphia carries additional significance for Mbappé.
The match will mark his 100th appearance for the French national team, a landmark achievement for one of the game’s modern superstars.
The former PSG forward admitted reaching the century mark at a World Cup makes the occasion even more special.
“Reaching 100 caps is a historic achievement, even more so if it happens at a World Cup,” the Real Madrid star said.
“There’s nothing bigger than the national team.”
Yet even amid the celebrations, Mbappé remains fully focused on France’s immediate objective.
“It’s going to be a special match for me, but we need to win to qualify.”
Golden Boot Race Heating Up
The battle for the World Cup Golden Boot is already intensifying.
Messi currently leads the scoring charts with five goals after following his Algeria hat-trick with another impressive display in Argentina’s opening fixture.
Mbappé, meanwhile, has four goals after netting twice in France’s 3-0 victory over Iraq, moving level with Norway striker Erling Haaland.
However, the France captain insists individual honours are not occupying his thoughts.
“It’s not something I’m thinking about at the moment,” Mbappé said after France’s victory.
“I think it’s so important these days to have a team environment where we can find our bearings.”
“It means we can be confident in our strengths when it really counts.”
The 2022 Golden Boot winner believes a strong collective will be essential if France are to retain their crown.
“I’ve always scored goals in the World Cup, so it’s not something I’m thinking about or that I’m worried about.”
“But as I said, the priority for us is to play to our strengths as a team, because we know that the further we go in the competition, the tougher the challenges will be.”
“And to win a World Cup, you’re going to have to beat everyone. So it’s going to be very difficult.”
Messi and Mbappé Continue to Raise the Bar
Mbappé’s latest brace elevated him to 16 World Cup goals overall, drawing him level with Miroslav Klose in second place on the all-time list.
Yet even as the Frenchman edges closer to history, he remains convinced that Messi’s remarkable consistency will make the chase extremely difficult.
“I said it yesterday: Léo always scores,” Mbappé continued.
“He’s always scored and he’s scoring. He’ll always score. If I want to look at what Léo’s doing, I’ll have to do even more.”
Despite the mounting comparisons, Mbappé insists his focus remains solely on helping France succeed.
“So no, no, I don’t look at what he’s doing at all. I’m focused on helping my team.”
“I’m sure I’m part of my team. I score goals and when you score goals, of course, you get closer to that sort of level.”
“But as I said, we’ve got a long road ahead of us that’s going to be tough, and we’re going to do everything we can to come out on top at the end of this perilous journey.”
Golden Boot Race: World Cup 2026
- Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 5 goals
- Erling Haaland (Norway) – 4 goals
- Kylian Mbappé (France) – 4 goals
- Jonathan David (Canada) – 3 goals
- Deniz Undav (Germany) – 3 goals
