MIAMI GARDENS, FL ― There is only one Kylian Mbappé, and the France superstar continues to shine.
On Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Mbappé dug his heels into the pitch and zipped a sweet ball into the net against England. The strike, which came in the 48th minute, cut France’s deficit to 4-1. It also tied Mbappé with Lionel Messi for the most World Cup goals ever (21).
If Mbappé and France can come back to beat England, they will have $29 million and a bronze medal for their efforts. A France win could also impact the country’s world ranking and qualifying draw for the 2030 World Cup.
Kylian Mbappé’s goal vs England in World Cup
Mbappé scores his 9th goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to put him on top of The Great Golden Boot Race 🇫🇷
He is now level with Messi in all-time FIFA World Cup goals with 21! pic.twitter.com/M0KRzEIjYq
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 18, 2026
Kylian Mbappé World Cup history
A few inches in Qatar separate Mbappé and France from back-to-back championships and a very different narrative around the Real Madrid star’s heroic performance in the final. Les Bleus are among the favorites entering the 2026 World Cup and Mbappe will be the key to their hopes in North America, set to pass 100 international appearances at age 27.
Kylian Mbappé international stats
Entering the 2026 World Cup, the 27-year-old has scored 56 goals in 96 international matches.
What Pro Club does Kylian Mbappé play for?
Real Madrid.
World Cup standings
Explore stats and the updated bracket with USA TODAY Sports here.
Full rosters for 2026 World Cup Teams
USA TODAY Sports at the World Cup
The 2026 World Cup is the largest ever, and USA TODAY is going all in with reporters on the ground in all 16 host cities across three countries to cover 48 Teams vying for the trophy. Get our World Cup: Extra Time newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.
USA TODAY’s Jordan Mendoza contributed to this reporting
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kylian Mbappé scores gnarly 21st career World Cup goal, ties Lionel Messi record
About the Author
