Kylian Mbappé produced one of the greatest individual campaigns in FIFA World Cup history, finishing the 2026 tournament as the competition’s leading scorer with 10 goals while becoming the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 22 career goals.
The French captain delivered a remarkable tournament, registering 41 shots, the most by any player while recording 23 shots on target, 39 take-on attempts, 18 chances created, four assists, and an expected goals (xG) value of 6.87. Eight of his 10 goals came from open play, underlining his dominance throughout the competition.
Despite Mbappé’s extraordinary individual performances, France’s World Cup journey ended in a 6-4 defeat to England in one of the highest-scoring matches in tournament history.
The thrilling encounter became only the sixth match in FIFA World Cup history to produce 10 or more goals, joining an exclusive list that includes Austria’s 7-5 victory over Switzerland (1954), Brazil’s 6-5 win over Poland (1938), Hungary’s 8-3 triumph over West Germany (1954), Hungary’s 10-1 demolition of El Salvador (1982), and France’s 7-3 victory over Paraguay (1958).
England’s victory also marked a historic achievement, securing the Three Lions their best World Cup finish since lifting the trophy in 1966.
Bukayo Saka etched his name into England’s football history by becoming just the fourth English player to score a hat-trick at a FIFA World Cup. He joins an elite group featuring Geoff Hurst (1966), Gary Lineker (1986), and Harry Kane (2018).
Mbappé’s 10-goal haul also places him among the greatest single-tournament goalscorers in World Cup history. Only Just Fontaine (13 goals in 1958), Sándor Kocsis (11 in 1954), and Gerd Müller (10 in 1970) have matched or surpassed the feat.
Although France fell short of World Cup glory, Mbappé’s record-breaking campaign will be remembered as one of the finest individual performances ever witnessed on football’s biggest stage, cementing his legacy among the greatest players in the history of the FIFA World Cup.