🔥 음바페, 월드컵 득점 기록을 둘러싼 메시와의 라이벌 관계를 일축

🔥 Mbappé downplays rivalry with Messi over World Cup goals record

The battle for the top spot on the all-time World Cup scoring chart gained another thrilling chapter in Philadelphia.

After France’s 3-0 win over Iraq in the second round, Kylian Mbappé found the net twice and reached the impressive mark of 16 World Cup goals.

The feat leaves him tied with Germany’s Miroslav Klose, but still two goals behind Lionel Messi, who took sole possession of the top spot last Monday by reaching 18 goals in Argentina’s win over Austria.

Despite the video game-like numbers, the French No. 10 was quick to dismiss any obsession with breaking the Argentine star’s record.

"There is no rivalry. Leo has always scored goals, scores goals, and will keep scoring. I don’t keep watching what he does, because otherwise I’d have to do even more. I only look at my team," Mbappé told newspaper L'Équipe.

Goals per Game Average: Mbappé’s Impressive Pace

If the rivalry is not openly declared, the numbers speak for themselves. Mbappé has maintained frightening efficiency across the three World Cups he has played in (2018, 2022, and 2026):

Kylian Mbappé: 16 goals in 16 matches (an exact average of 1 goal per game).

Miroslav Klose: 16 goals in 23 matches (matched by Mbappé 7 games sooner).

Lionel Messi: 18 goals in 27 matches (current sole record holder).

The Real Madrid forward stressed that his focus is on the trophy, not the scoring title: "I’m not thinking about the Golden Boot. For me, the most important thing is having a collective structure so that we can be confident in our strength."

Group I Decider and Brazil’s Path

With perfect records, France and Norway face each other this Friday at 4 p.m. (Brasília time) in Boston to decide who advances in first place in the group. The French can play for a draw because of their goal difference.

Keeping an eye on this group is vital for Brazilians: the runner-up in Group I could cross paths with the Brazilian national team as early as the round of 16.

Argentina, meanwhile, will only take the field on Saturday at 11 p.m. (Brasília time) against Jordan in Dallas.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.