Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Lionel Messi scored three goals as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 at Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday night.
- Kylian Mbappé netted twice in France's 3-1 victory over Senegal at MetLife Stadium earlier in the day.
- Messi has matched Miroslav Klose's World Cup record of 16 goals, while Mbappé sits just two goals behind in the all-time standings.
Tuesday at the World Cup was the day the stars really arrived at the party. In the day's early kickoff, Kylian Mbappé turned on the style, scoring twice in the second half as France beat Senegal 3-1 at MetLife Stadium. Six hours later, 1,200 miles west at Arrowhead Stadium, Lionel Messi underlined why he remains the greatest player on the planet. The 38-year-old scored all three, including two absolute screamers, during Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria in Kansas City.
These two performances have noteworthy ramifications when it comes the all-time leading scorer chart in the history of the FIFA World Cup. So, how do the updated standings look now?
All-time leading FIFA World Cup goalscorers
Players | Nation | World Cup goals |
|---|---|---|
Mirosłav Klose | Germany | 16 |
Lionel Messi | Argentina | 16 |
Ronaldo | Brazil | 15 |
Gerd Müller | West Germany | 14 |
Kylian Mbappé | France | 14 |
Just Fontaine | France | 13 |
Pelé | Brazil | 12 |
Sándor Kocsis | Hungary | 11 |
Jürgen Klinsmann | Germany | 11 |
We all knew it was pretty likely that Messi would match Mirosłav Klose's all-time World Cup record of 16 at some point this summer, but we didn't think he'd do it on night one. Perhaps we should have though! The Argentine magician also holds the record for the most World Cup appearances (27) and, if la Albiceleste go all the way, he'll become only the second man to play in three World Cup Finals, after Cafu. By appearing against Algeria in Missouri, Messi became the first player to feature at six different World Cups, although Cristiano Ronaldo will join this very select group on Wednesday when Portugal take on DR Congo in Houston.
For Messi, attention turns to Austria on Monday. Will he break Klose's record outright in the Lone Star State?
Argentina's remaining World Cup Group J fixtures
- Monday, June 22, 1 p.m. ET: Argentina vs Austria, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Tex.
- Saturday, June 28, 10 p.m. ET: Jordan vs Argentina, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Tex.
While most expect Messi to become the World Cup's all-time leading scorer in the next week or so, he might not hold that record for very long. Following his double in East Rutherford, Mbappé is now only two behind: His injury-time rocket against Senegal saw Mbappé become France's record goalscorer at the World Cup, surpassing Just Fontaine's tally of 13, as well as les Bleus' all-time leading scorer overall, overtaking Olivier Giroud's tally of 57.
Of Mbappé's 58 goals, impressively, almost a quarter have been scored at World Cups. In 2018, he scored against Peru and bagged a brace against Argentina before becoming only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final (after Pelé in 1958). Four years ago in Qatar, Mbappé's tally of eight goals saw him earn the Golden Boot, after becoming only the second man to bag a World Cup final hat trick — 56 years after Sir Geoff Hurst did so at Wembley.
Well, a double in New Jersey is not a bad way to start his stateside escapade. If Argentina go out semi-early and France are back at MetLife on July 19 for the final, who knows, Mbappé might just overtake Gerd Müller, Ronaldo, Klose and Messi himself and become the World Cup's all-time leading scorer, even at the age of just 27.
France's remaining World Cup Group J fixtures
- Monday, June 22, 5 p.m. ET: France vs Iraq, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pa.
- Saturday, June 28, 3 p.m. ET: Norway vs France, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
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