2026 FIFA World Cup: Mbappe backs Messi to deliver against Spain

France forward Kylian Mbappé has refused to prematurely celebrate securing the all-time FIFA World Cup goalscoring record, insisting his former teammate Lionel Messi will strike back in Sunday's final against Spain.

The 27-year-old French captain shattered multiple scoring records during France's chaotic 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place play-off at the Miami Stadium on Saturday.

Despite the disappointment of playing in a bronze medal match rather than competing for the World Cup title, Mbappé delivered an extraordinary individual performance.

His brace against England elevated his total tournament tally to 10 goals, making him the first player in the 21st century to register double digits in a single World Cup campaign.

Crucially, the two strikes pushed his overall World Cup goalscoring record to an unprecedented 22 goals, temporarily moving him past Messi at the summit of the all-time scoring charts.

Following the defeat, Mbappé downplayed his monumental achievement, keeping the spotlight on the impending final between Argentina and Spain at the New York-New Jersey Stadium.

When asked if his 10 tournament goals and 22 all-time goals had safely secured him the 2026 Golden Boot and the absolute scoring record, Mbappé deferred to his former Paris Saint-Germain colleague.

"Leo Messi will score also tomorrow! He always delivers," Mbappé told reporters, per Fabrizio Romano. 

The two generational superstars share a deep mutual respect, having formed a potent attacking partnership at Paris Saint-Germain. During their time in the French capital between 2021 and 2023, Mbappé and Messi secured consecutive Ligue 1 titles in 2021/22 and 2022/23, alongside the 2022 Trophée des Champions.

While Mbappé currently holds the statistical high ground, he made it explicitly clear that individual accolades pale in comparison to team success.

"To be honest, I would have preferred to not be top-scorer and be in the World Cup final," Mbappé admitted.

Messi enters the final with eight tournament goals, trailing Mbappé by two in the race for the 2026 Golden Boot. The Argentine captain also sits on 21 all-time World Cup goals, needing just one strike against Spain to equal Mbappé's newly established record, and two to reclaim the throne outright as Argentina aim to secure back-to-back world titles.