They enforced hierarchy. As in 2022, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi should finish first and second in the ranking of top scorers at the World Cup. The two former teammates crushed the competition throughout the competition, but for the Frenchman, there is still this feeling of unfinished business, as often in recent months. He said it on Saturday evening, directly, on the microphone of M6.
“The goals record? Leo scores all the time, I said it, he will score tomorrow (this Sunday), that’s for sure. Scoring so many goals makes you grow, but I would have preferred not to be top scorer at the World Cup and to play tomorrow. » Author of a double during the surreal small final against England (4-6), Mbappé brings his total to 10 goals in this World Cup, an unprecedented performance since 1970 (Gerd Müller was the last to have reached this bar). The Frenchman has 22 in total, and could therefore finish this World Cup at the top of the ranking of the best scorers in the history of the competition (Messi is at 20).
Finishing top scorer, but not winning, Mbappé knows
For two years, Kylian Mbappé has earned very little, but he mitigates his collective disappointments with individual satisfaction. He finished top scorer in La Liga in 2025 and 2026, but each time, Barça finished champion. He finished top scorer in the 2025/2026 Champions League, but Paris Saint-Germain finished champion while Real Madrid exited in the 1/4 final against Bayern Munich.
And as in 2022, he should finish top scorer in the 2026 World Cup (short of a hat-trick from Lionel Messi in the final), but without being champion in the end. No player in history has achieved this performance or poor performance, it is up to everyone’s perception. Mbappé remains prisoner of this paradox, that of a player who is brilliant individually, but loses collectively. He will have to succeed in breaking away from it to realize his biggest dreams, such as winning the Ballon d’Or or the Champions League.
