You can hate him, but you have to admire him

History was rewritten on Saturday in Miami, a city that loves a prolific superstar, when Kylian Mbappe officially broke the all-time men’s World Cup goalscoring record. The poetic irony lies in the fact that he achieved this in the current backyard of Lionel Messi, the living legend whose 21-goal benchmark Mbappe surpassed.

Reaching an astonishing 22 World Cup goals at just 27 years old, the French talisman entered truly illustrious company. What makes the feat even more staggering is his sheer efficiency—Mbappe reached the milestone in 11 fewer matches and across three fewer tournaments than the 39-year-old Messi, who was hours away from playing in what was expected to be his final World Cup game.

While mainstream focus had spent over a decade obsessed with the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry, Mbappe quietly earned his right to sit at the same table as the Argentina captain. Since exploding onto the scene as a teenager with Monaco and later spearheading France's 2018 World Cup triumph in Russia, he has loomed as Messi’s ultimate statistical nemesis.

The 2026 World Cup was widely expected to be Mbappe’s definitive coronation. A second World Cup title would have pulled him incredibly close to Pele’s legendary haul of three trophies, cementing his status as the greatest international player of the modern era. With an elite French squad surrounding him, that destiny seemed entirely in the cards.

Yet, even though a second world title ultimately eluded him and France, becoming the competition's all-time leading goalscorer proved why Mbappe remains the preeminent force in international football moving forward.

Before France’s underwhelming semifinal exit against Spain, the captain was having an exceptional tournament, looking virtually unstoppable with a formidable blend of speed, strength, and skill. He played with a swagger and guile fitting of the national team captaincy, showing no signs of fatigue. Still, individual accolades offer little comfort to a competitor of his stature, as he admitted to Fox Sports after the England game that he would have gladly traded the historic scoring record just to be playing in the final.

Had France reached the showcase match and won it, with Mbappe claiming both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball, his tournament would have drawn comparisons to the historic, era-defining performances of Diego Maradona in 1986, Zinedine Zidane in 1998, and Pele in 1970.

Instead, he is left to watch the final between Spain and Argentina from the sidelines, knowing Messi still has the opportunity to retake the all-time scoring lead and capture his first World Cup Golden Boot. If the Argentine maestro succeeds, he will become the defining image of the tournament—unless Lamine Yamal, Spain’s sublimely gifted 19-year-old attacker, steals the spotlight to cement himself as Messi's heir apparent.

However, a player of Mbappe's caliber requires no line of succession to validate his greatness. Since joining Real Madrid, his production has become even more terrifying, yielding 85 goals in 100 appearances across all competitions.

He is a lethal goal machine on par with Erling Haaland, yet the Frenchman possesses a level of flair, creativity, and dribbling wizardry that elevates him a notch above other elite European finishers. While the media narrative focused on the twilight of aging legends, the pitch proved that Mbappe was always the real disruptor, and the heavy responsibility of the captain's armband did nothing to slow him down.

Despite the internet memes portraying him as a divisive figure, his quiet leadership on the pitch and close bond with head coach Didier Deschamps told a completely different story. Following Saturday's match, Deschamps fiercely defended his star player, praising him as an exemplary captain and an incredible human being whose public image does not align with reality.

Social media trends have a short shelf life, but Mbappe possesses the permanent staying power of a true World Cup icon. Dethroning Messi, even if temporarily, is a monumental feat, but inevitability has always been Mbappe's trademark. He may yet walk away with the Golden Boot if Spain manages to muzzle Messi, but for a generational talent who came to dominate the world stage, it serves as merely a small consolation.

WORLD CUP - KNOCKOUT STAGE

Sunday

Third-place match

France - England 4-6 (0-4)

/Mbappe 48, 66, Barcola 54, Dembele 90+6 - Rice 3, Konsa 18, Saka 37, 45+1, 87 pen, Bellingham 90+8/

Final

22.00: (2.35) Spain (3.00) Argentina (3.60)

***odds are subject to change***