Kylian Mbappé scored twice as France defeated Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 16, surpassing Lionel Messi’s record of 19 FIFA World Cup goals. The French star also joined Messi at the top of the tournament’s scoring chart with six goals each.
The 27-year-old has been closely chasing Lionel Messi as both players continue to set new milestones in World Cup goalscoring. However, Mbappé insists that lifting the trophy on July 19 means far more to him than winning the Golden Boot.
“I think the objective, as I’ve said before, is to go as far as possible, to reach July 19 and come back here. We’re trying to win, taking it one step at a time. Of course, the more goals you score, the higher you climb in the rankings—I’m not telling anyone anything new there. But I’m also convinced that Leo will score more goals, so I don’t focus too much on that. I’m more focused on the opponents we may face and on getting closer to our ultimate goal, which is reaching the final,” Mbappé said.
Messi’s Argentina will face Cape Verde in the Round of 16. France, meanwhile, will take on Paraguay for a place in the quarter-finals, where they would face either co-hosts Canada or Morocco.
