Mbappe Hits 10 Goals, Breaks World Cup Record in France's 6-4 Loss

Q: Mbappé claimed the scoring crown, but can Messi achieve the ultimate prize: a second consecutive World Cup title?

Yes — Messi can still secure the bigger prize, but Argentina face a formidable test against Spain in Sunday’s final. Argentina are one win away from back-to-back World Cup titles after lifting the trophy in Qatar in 2022. If they beat Spain at MetLife Stadium, they would become the first nation in 64 years to retain the men’s World Cup and only the third ever to do so, after Italy and Brazil. Messi, now 39, would also add a second World Cup crown and strengthen an already unmatched international résumé. The case for Argentina starts with Messi’s influence. He has eight goals and four assists in this tournament, more goal contributions than any other player, and he has repeatedly delivered in decisive moments. Argentina have also shown resilience throughout the knockout rounds, scoring 12 of their 19 goals after the 75th minute and extending a long winning run in major tournaments. But Mbappé’s record does not change the scale of the challenge awaiting Messi. Spain arrive as European champions, unbeaten in 37 matches since March 2024, and have conceded only once in this World Cup. Their control-heavy, high-tempo style has made them the tournament’s most complete side, and forecasting models have slightly favored Spain. So Messi has not matched Mbappé’s new scoring mark yet, but the ultimate prize remains within reach. If Argentina beat Spain, Messi will have achieved what matters most: another World Cup title, and a historic second in a row.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 19

10 tournament goals made Kylian Mbappe the first player since Gerd Muller in 1970 to reach double figures at a single World Cup, after his second-half brace against England.
22 career World Cup goals also pushed the 27-year-old France forward past Lionel Messi into sole possession of the competition's all-time scoring record.
England still won the bronze-match thriller 6-4 in Miami after leading 4-0 at halftime, despite France's late rally cutting the gap to 4-3.
Michael Olise fed that comeback with 2 assists, lifting his tournament total to 7 and breaking Pele's World Cup assist mark.
The record-filled playoff came hours before the Argentina-Spain final, where Messi was set for one last chance to answer Mbappe's scoring milestone.