Kylian Mbappé of France surpassed Lionel Messi's long-standing record for most career goals in a single World Cup tournament by scoring his 21st and 22nd goals during France's 6-4 third-place playoff victory over England.The match, held in Miami Gardens, Florida, saw Mbappé lead a dramatic comeback after France trailed 4-0 at halftime.His first-time finish in the 48th minute sparked a resurgence, with France eventually securing a thrilling win.Messi, now 39 and playing in his sixth World Cup, remains in contention to reclaim the record when Argentina faces Spain in the final.

Mbappé, 27, expressed his preference to focus on the final rather than the record, stating, 'I would have preferred not to be the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history and instead be able to play in the World Cup final tomorrow.

' The Real Madrid forward's brace also secured him the Golden Boot lead over Messi, who had previously broken Miroslav Klose's record but was overtaken by Mbappé.

The article highlights Mbappé's career trajectory, including his 2018 Young Player of the Tournament award and 2022 World Cup final hat trick, while contextualizing Messi's journey from Barcelona struggles to World Cup triumph in 2022.