Kylian Mbappe is four goals away from surpassing Lionel Messi as the World Cup's all-time leading scorer — a milestone that could arrive as soon as the 2026 tournament, should the France striker maintain his prolific form.

Messi's record in the spotlight

Messi etched his name into history by becoming the tournament's greatest goalscorer of all time during Argentina's game against Austria, where he struck twice to bring his total to 18 World Cup goals. That brace moved the Argentine legend above Germany's Miroslav Klose, who had held the record on 16 goals.

Before Klose, Brazil's Ronaldo Nazario had set the mark at 15 goals in 2006, a record that stood until 2014. Prior to that, Germany's Gerd Müller had held the record with 14 for nearly three decades. Messi's current tally of 18, however, may not endure for long.

Mbappe's chase

Mbappe has scored 14 World Cup goals for France, a number he boosted with a brace against Senegal in a recent group-stage fixture. That effort placed him joint-fourth in the all-time rankings, and he remains the only active player inside the top ten — aside from England's Harry Kane, who sits in tenth place on 10 goals.

The 2022 World Cup final encapsulated his extraordinary talent: Mbappe scored a hat-trick in that defeat to Argentina — arguably the finest individual performance from a player on the losing side in final history. He also shone four years earlier, leading France past Argentina 4-3 in the round of 16 on the way to their 2018 title.

With France set to face Iraq and then Erling Haaland's Norway in their upcoming group games, Mbappe has an immediate opportunity to close the gap. If he can replicate his brace against Senegal in both matches, the four-goal deficit could narrow sharply. A slowdown from Messi — particularly if Argentina rest their talisman once qualification is secured — would only aid the Frenchman's pursuit.

The Golden Boot race

Beyond the all-time record, the race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot is already taking shape. Messi currently holds a three-goal advantage over Mbappe in that competition, meaning the Frenchman must hit the ground running in his remaining group games to stay in contention.

At 25, Mbappe has time on his side. If he remains fit and France progress deep into the 2026 tournament, the all-time scoring record — one that has passed through Müller, Ronaldo Nazario, and Klose — could finally find a new owner.