Kylian Mbappe can hit unbeatable goal milestone not even Lionel Messi will reach

Kylian Mbappe is a machine who can score 30 World Cup goals before he retires.

The France captain is only 27 and is already chasing down Lionel Messi’s record in what is his third appearance at the tournament.

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He is currently in the race for the 2026 tournament’s Golden Boot alongside Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Messi.

The Real Madrid ace will hope to add to his tally as he pushes his nation towards a third successive final.

He will be 32 by the time the next World Cup comes around and talkSPORT host Darren Bent can’t see him slowing down.

“Mbappe will finish with 25, nearly 30 World Cup knockout goals. He could break Messi’s record in this tournament.”

Messi, at 39, is not likely to return to the world stage in four years time and, as prolific as he is, is unlikely to score another nine goals before the final. He can, though, still set a target for Mbappe to reach.

Additionally, Gabby Agbonlahor compared Mbappe to legendary Brazil striker Ronaldo, better known to fans as R9 and thinks Mbappe doesn’t get enough credit.

“His second goal in the World Cup [a strike from 30 yards out against Senegal] – if R9 scored that the whole world would be going crazy, but because Mbappe scored it, it’s ‘yes, it was a decent goal’.

“The way he steps over it on the left-hand side and bends it into the goal, it was fantastic. It’s disrespecting him, he’s the best player in the world and he’s the closest we’ve had to R9.”

Mbappe has already surpassed Ronaldo’s 11 goals, scored across six World Cups, and ahead of the 2026 quarter-final, had 19.

France and Mbappe to win

Agbonlahor added: “The only way France don’t win the World Cup is bad luck.”

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France have been a scoring machine in North America, standing as the highest-scoring team with a total of 14 goals remaining unbeaten across the competition.

With a front four of Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, and Mbappe, France remain in pole position to win the whole thing for the third time, with their last triumph coming in 2018.

Haaland vs Mbappe

The pair are two of the greatest forwards in world football, with both players securing the Golden Boot in the Premier League and La Liga respectively.

Norway’s Erling Haaland has scored 27 goals for Manchester City domestically and netted 38 in all competitions, with his dad not ruling out a possible move to Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, Mbappe scored 42 across the 44 games he appeared in last season for Real.

Although they are both vital for their clubs, they are equally integral for their respective nations and are both leading the race for the tournament’s top scorer with seven goals each.

However, while their numbers are similar, they are very different types of forwards, with Haaland being more physical in the box.

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Andy Goldstein agreed with Agbonlahor’s take on the Real Madrid superstar, replying: “You are bang on the money with that. His speed, his pace, his ability to just pull back his foot and to get so much power into a shot.”

At this World Cup, the France skipper has attempted 14 dribbles across the first two matches, compared with just one from Haaland.

Statistically, Mbappe outperforms Haaland in shots, touches and chances created in their separate domestic campaigns.

The two world-class players faced each other in the final fixture of Group I, with France winning 4-1 and Mbappe assisting two goals.

However, the Man City striker was rested for the meeting, and the only chance of the two players going face to face will be in the World Cup final if their nations get there.