Kylian Mbappe favors World Cup glory over Lionel Messi’s all-time scoring record

Kylian Mbappe insists lifting the World Cup trophy remains his only priority, even as he closes in on Lionel Messi’s all-time tournament scoring record.

The France captain scored twice in Les Bleus’ comfortable 3-0 win over Sweden in the round of 32 on Tuesday, taking his tally to 18 goals in just 18 appearances at the World Cup. The brace also took him to six goals at the 2026 World Cup, level with Messi in the race for the Golden Boot and just one goal short of the Argentine’s all-time World Cup record of 19.

Despite that a touch distance milestoneMbappe has made it clear that individual records are secondary to France’s pursuit of another world title.

“I think the goal, as I said, is to go as far as possible, make it to July 19 and come back here,” Mbappe told reporters, referring to the World Cup finals in New York.

“We’re trying to win; we’re going step by step. Of course, the more goals you score, the higher you go up the ladder. But I’m also convinced that Leo will score more goals, so I’m not focusing too much on that.”

“I’m more focused on the opponents we can face and how close we are to our goal: the final.”

Messi will have the opportunity to extend his record when defending champions Argentina take on Cape Verde in a Round of 32 match on Friday.

France, meanwhile, face Paraguay in the round of 16 after the South Americans stunned Germany in a penalty shoot-out following a disciplined defensive display. Mbappe expects another tough test and believes France still have room to improve despite their convincing win over Sweden.

“I think between today and the game in Paraguay we will continue to work to see what we can improve because there are still some sequences that are not clear enough,” he said.

“Still, I think it’s a positive overall and our ability to score goals means we always have a chance to take the lead in games.

France will start as favorites against Paraguay in Philadelphia, with the winners facing either Canada or Morocco in the quarter-finals. As Mbappe continues to rewrite the World Cup record books, the 27-year-old remains firmly focused on adding another winner’s medal rather than surpassing Messi’s scoring mark.

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Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

01 Jul 2026 08:16 IST