Miami Gardens: Kylian Mbappe achieved a scoring milestone at the World Cup on Saturday, though he would have favored a different result for his team.
The France forward surpassed Argentina’s Lionel Messi for the all-time World Cup goal tally with 22 strikes after netting twice during a 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place match.
Mbappe ended the tournament with 10 goals, two ahead of Messi in the contest for the Golden Boot awarded to the leading scorer. If he stays ahead after Argentina faces Spain in Sunday’s final, he would become the first player to claim the award twice.
“I would have preferred not to be the top scorer in history,” Mbappe told Fox Sports in French, “and play in the match tomorrow.”
Les Bleus lost their opportunity to reach a third consecutive World Cup final after falling to Spain in the semifinals.
Mbappe claimed eight goals to win the Golden Boot four years earlier in Qatar, where France fell to Messi and Argentina on penalties in the final.
His 10 goals this year equal the third-highest single-tournament total. Just Fontaine scored a record 13 for France in 1958, Sandor Kocsis of Hungary netted 11 in 1954, and West Germany’s Gerd Müller tallied 10 in 1970.
Mbappe’s Golden Boot hopes looked distant when France trailed 4-0 at halftime.
France then mounted a comeback in the second half. Mbappe opened the scoring with a shot past England goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the 48th minute. Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele also scored, while Michael Olise recorded two assists to set a record with seven in the tournament, one more than Brazil’s Pelé in 1970.
France closed to 4-3 on Mbappe’s second goal, a left-footed finish from roughly 14 yards in the 66th minute that moved him past Messi’s career mark of 21 goals.
“There were two very different halves,” Mbappe said. “During the first one, I can understand why some people think we made fools of ourselves and didn’t do the jersey justice. I’d say instead that we were human — and we can’t afford to be. We were completely stunned, and they really shook us awake.”
He added that the players had wanted to win for coach Didier Deschamps in his final match.
“In the end, we didn’t win, and that’s a shame for the coach,” Mbappe said. “The first half gives the impression that we let him down — that’s not at all how we wanted him to feel. This match isn’t going to tarnish Didier Deschamps’ legacy.”
France won the World Cup under Deschamps in 2018, lost the 2022 final to Argentina on penalties, and was eliminated by Spain in the semifinals. It marked a disappointing close to his 14-year tenure.
Zinedine Zidane is expected to be named Deschamps’ successor soon.
“It is the end of a journey which represented the most beautiful period,” Deschamps said. “When I started in 2012 … I put the French team first.”
Deschamps embraced players on the field before leaving and defended Mbappe afterward.
“I know he has been given an image that is not true to reality,” the coach said through an interpreter. “He is an incredible captain, and like many of these players, he has evolved. He is disappointed that he did not manage to compete in the final.”
