JAKARTA - Kylian Mbappe broke the record for the most goals in a World Cup knockout match and is only one goal away from Lionel Messi's record in the tournament overall.
The record was created after Mbappe's two goals led France to a landslide victory over Sweden at the MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, early in the morning WIB.
The victory, France's biggest in a World Cup knockout match since a 3-0 win over Brazil in the 1998 final, took them into the last 16 against conquerors Germany, Paraguay.
"I am very aware of who I am, how I play, what I have to do, but it's not just about me."
"The whole team is aware of what to do. This is a new competition that starts today. We played well, but we hesitated. We could have played better at the start," said Mbappe after the match.
In a very hot afternoon match at MetLife Stadium - the venue for the 2026 World Cup final on July 19, 2026 - France fired a total of 25 shots at the Swedish goal, including 15-3 in the first half.
Temperatures reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), it was sunny and humid at kickoff at 5 p.m. local time with poor air quality not deterring France.
Mbappe scored through an incredible individual effort in the 45th minute, after a brilliant feint.
It was the ninth goal of the Real Madrid star in the World Cup knockout stage, breaking the record previously held by Brazilian legends Leonidas and Ronaldo, as the highest scorer in the history of the tournament.
Mbappe, 27, immediately ran to coach Didier Deschamps after scoring. This was Deschamps' first game back on the sidelines after missing the last group stage game against Norway to fly back to Europe for his mother's funeral.
"He knows that he will never be alone. We will support him," Mbappe said.
However, Mbappe is not finished. After Bradley Barcola scored France's second goal early in the second half, Mbappe added Les Bleus' third goal in the 74th minute, taking advantage of a perfect measured pass from Michael Olise and finishing it into the far corner of the goal.
Mbappe's sixth goal in this year's tournament equalled Argentina striker Messi's record in the race for the Golden Boot. With 18 goals in 18 World Cup matches, he is only one goal behind Messi in the all-time top scorer list. Messi has played in 29 World Cup matches throughout his career.
Meanwhile, Deschamps bowed when Mbappe came to the bench after being replaced in the 85th minute.
"We are on a mission - and I am with them," Deschamps said.
In addition to Mbappe's record, France also has Olise who provided an assist for Barcola's goal so that he has five assists in the 2026 World Cup, the most by a player in the World Cup since Thomas Hassler for Germany in the 1994 edition.
"He does everything on the pitch. He works hard in defence and on the ball. He makes great passes, creates danger, and it's really fun to play with him."
"He also has the ability to score goals and almost succeeded, but it will come. He is a genius. I see him as a genius," Barcola said of Olise.
Looking to reach a third consecutive World Cup final, France will play Paraguay in Philadelphia. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals against either Canada or Morocco five days later in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
