Kylian Mbappe has made it clear that winning the FIFA World Cup is far more important to him than surpassing Lionel Messi’s impressive goal scoring record. While the French superstar continues to climb the all time World Cup scoring chart, his main objective remains helping France lift the trophy on July 19 in New York.
The 27 year old striker delivered another outstanding performance by scoring twice in France’s convincing 3 0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32. The win secured France’s place in the next stage of the tournament while taking Mbappe’s World Cup tally to 18 goals, just one behind Messi’s record of 19 goals. Both players are also leading the scoring charts in this edition of the tournament with six goals each.
Speaking after the match, Mbappe explained that personal records are not his priority. He said the team’s focus is on reaching the World Cup final and ultimately becoming champions. Although he acknowledged that scoring more goals naturally improves a player’s standing, he believes Lionel Messi will continue adding to his own record.
The French captain emphasized that his attention is on preparing for upcoming opponents rather than individual achievements. France will now face Paraguay in the Round of 16, with the winner advancing to a quarterfinal against either Canada or Morocco.
Mbappe also praised Paraguay for their disciplined performance after they eliminated Germany in a penalty shootout. He expects another difficult contest and believes France must continue improving despite their impressive attacking form.
According to Mbappe, the French squad still has areas to refine before the next match. However, he remains confident because France has consistently created scoring opportunities and possesses the quality to take control of games.
As the tournament progresses, the battle between Mbappe and Messi for goals will continue to attract attention. Even so, the French forward insists that lifting the World Cup trophy with his teammates will always mean more than any personal milestone.
