Kylian Mbappe continues to write new pages of history at the World Cup. In the victory of the French team against Iraq in the second match of Group I of the 2026 World Cup, the 27-year-old striker scored a double to increase the total number of goals at the biggest football festival on the planet to 16 after only 16 appearances.
That number is enough to affirm Mbappe's special position on the World Cup stage. He is currently only two goals behind Lionel Messi's record of 18 goals and is very close to the title of greatest scorer in the history of the tournament.
The match in Philadelphia was not easy when it was interrupted for more than two hours due to bad weather. However, Mbappe still knew how to make a difference. He opened the score with a powerful long-range shot with a speed of up to 119 km/h, before completing a double with a close-range tap-in after an assist from Ousmane Dembele.
This is also a special match for Mbappe as he reached the milestone of 100 caps for the French national team. At the age of 27, the Real Madrid striker became the youngest player in Les Bleus history to reach this milestone.
After 100 matches, Mbappe has scored 60 goals for the national team, continuing to maintain an incredible scoring performance. He became the 10th player in French football history to join the "100-match club", alongside legends such as Didier Deschamps, Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram or Hugo Lloris.
What makes Mbappe special is not only the numbers. The World Cup seems to be the stage born for him. Since his first participation in the tournament in 2018 and making a great contribution to helping France win the championship when he was only 19 years old, this striker always knows how to shine at the most important moments.
After two legs, France has officially won a ticket to the knockout round. This means Mbappe still has many opportunities to increase his scoring record at the 2026 World Cup, as well as continue the race with Lionel Messi in the list of the best scorers in the history of the tournament.
However, Mbappe still affirms that his biggest goal is the World Cup championship, instead of personal records. However, with his current form, the French striker can completely aim for both goals.
Coach Didier Deschamps also gave special praise to his student: "Records are born to be broken. Mbappe has an iconic number. He has played 100 matches for the national team. He always scores and surely he will score even more goals.
Look at Messi, look at Cristiano Ronaldo. I'm not sure if Mbappe will play to their age, but as long as he is still on the field and feels okay, he will score a lot of goals. Every time he breaks his own record, he has the ability to further raise his limits.
At the age of 27, Mbappe still has many years ahead and at least a few more World Cups to conquer. If he continues to maintain his incredible performance as he is now, Mbappe surpassing all scoring records in World Cup history is probably only a matter of time.
