Kylian Mbappé becomes France’s all-time top scorer in 3-1 win over Senegal: 6 World Cup records he can still break

ByTech Word News

France’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his team’s opening goal during the Group I soccer match between France and Senegal in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Kylian Mbappé entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the opportunity to add another chapter to what is already one of the greatest international careers football has ever seen. Still only 27, the France captain is playing in his third World Cup and is already one of the most prolific goalscorers in the history of the tournament. After his two-goal performance in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal in their Group I opener at MetLife Stadium on June 17, Mbappé has already rewritten part of the record books and remains within reach of several other French, World Cup and all-time soccer records.Here are all the major records that Mbappé can break, equal or extend during the 2026 World Cup.

1. Become France’s all-time top scorer

The most immediate record within reach of Mbappé was the all-time record of France.He entered the tournament with 56 goals in 98 appearances for the French national team, just one behind Olivier Giroud’s record of 57.However, Mbappé’s brace against Senegal, a 66th-minute strike followed by a stoppage-time goal, took him to 58 international goals and moved him ahead of Giroud as France’s clear leading goalscorer.French goalscorers of all time:

  1. Kylian Mbappé – 58 goals
  2. Olivier Giroud – 57 goals
  3. Thierry Henry – 51 goals
  4. Antoine Griezmann – 44 goals
  5. Michel Platini – 41 goals

At just 27, Mbappé now owns the record and looks set to expand it significantly in the coming years.

2. Be the leading goalscorer at the World Cup in France

Mbappé is also on the verge of breaking one of the most iconic records in French football history.Just Fontaine’s 13 goals during the 1958 World Cup set the benchmark for France’s World Cup scoring for almost seven decades and still remains the record for most goals scored by a player in a single World Cup. Mbappé entered the 2026 tournament with 12 World Cup goals and moved past Fontaine’s total for France when he scored twice against Senegal to take his tally to 14 and set a new national record.France’s all-time World Cup goalscorers:

  1. Kylian Mbappé – 14 goals
  2. Just Fontaine – 13 goals
  3. Thierry Henry – 6 goals
  4. Zinedine Zidane – 5 goals
  5. Michel Platini – 5 goals
  6. Olivier Giroud – 5 goals

With his brace against Senegal, Mbappé has already surpassed Fontaine to become France’s undisputed top scorer in World Cup history.

3. Become the best scorer of the world cup ever

Perhaps the greatest individual record Mbappé holds is the overall World Cup scoring record.German legend Miroslav Klose is currently on top with 16 goals, but Mbappé is now remarkably close despite only being in his third tournament.World Cup all-time top scorers:

  1. Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goals
  2. Ronaldo (Brazil) – 15 goals
  3. Kylian Mbappé (France) – 14 goals
  4. Gerd Müller (Germany) – 14 goals
  5. Just Fontaine (France) – 13 goals
  6. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 13 goals
  7. Pelé (Brazil) – 12 goals

Mbappé now needs:

  • 1 goal to move to the level of Ronaldo
  • 2 goals to the level of Miroslav Klose
  • 3 goals to become the undisputed top scorer in World Cup history

Having already started the tournament with two goals, another deep French upset could have the record firmly within reach.

4. Extend his record for most goals scored in a World Cup final

Unlike many entries on this list, this is one that Mbappé already owns. He scored once in France’s 4–2 win over Croatia in the 2018 World Cup final and then produced one of the greatest performances in World Cup finals history when he scored a hat-trick against Argentina in the 2022 final.This gives him four goals in a World Cup final, more than any player ever.Most goals scored in a World Cup final:

  1. Kylian Mbappé – 4 goals
  2. Geoff Hurst – 3 goals
  3. Vava – 3 goals
  4. Pelé – 3 goals
  5. Zinedine Zidane – 3 goals
  6. Gino Colaussi – 2 goals
  7. Silvio Piola – 2 goals
  8. Helmut Rahn – 2 goals
  9. Mario Kempes – 2 goals
  10. Paul Breitner – 2 goals
  11. Ronaldo – 2 goals
  12. Lionel Messi – 2 goals

Should France reach another final, Mbappé would have the chance to extend the record that sees him alone at the top of football history.

5. Become the first player to win the Golden Boot twice

Another unique achievement is within reach.Mbappé won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup after scoring eight goals during France’s run to the finals.No player has ever won the Golden Boot twice, since the award’s inception each World Cup has produced a different top scorer.His two goals against Senegal gave him an early lead in the race for the 2026 Golden Boot, and if he finishes as the tournament’s top scorer, he will become the first player in the more than 90-year history of the World Cup to win the award on two separate occasions.

6. Become a two-time World Cup winner

France lifted the World Cup in 2018 before finishing as runners-up to Argentina in 2026. If Les Bleus go all the way to the top in 2026, Mbappé would secure a second World Cup title and also join a very exclusive group of players who have won multiple World Cups.Alongside teammates Lucas Hernandez, N’Golo Kante and Ousmane Dembélé, Mbappé could become the first French player to win two World Cups as a player.

7. Become only the second player to reach three World Cup finals in three matches

Very few players have managed to reach the World Championship finals in three consecutive tournaments.So far, only one player has done it: Brazilian legend Cafu (1994, 1998, 2002).Mbappé has already appeared in the 2018 and 2022 finals.Should France reach the final again in 2026, he would become only the second player to do so.

8. Become the first player to score in three consecutive World Cup finals

This may be the rarest achievement available to him.Mbappé scored in the 2018 final against Croatia and then scored three times in the 2022 final against Argentina.Should France reach the final again and Mbappé finds the net, he would become the first player in football history to score in three consecutive World Cup finals. No player has ever managed to do that.

The legacy of the World Cup is already one of the greatest ever

Even before the knockout rounds begin, Mbappé’s World Cup resume is extraordinary.At just 27 years old, he already has:

  • 2018 World Cup Winners Medals
  • Medals for the 2022 World Runners-up
  • 14 World Cup goals
  • Four goals in a World Cup final
  • The Golden Boot of 2022
  • Two final appearances at the World Cup
  • France’s all-time record for goals scored

Most players spend their entire careers hoping to reach one of these milestones.Mbappé has already broken Olivier Giroud’s French goalscoring record and surpassed Just Fontaine as France’s top goalscorer at the World Cup. He is now just two goals behind Miroslav Klose’s World Cup record and one behind Ronaldo’s 15.With France still a long way to go in the tournament, any performance Mbappé puts in could bring about another piece of footballing history.