---
title: "Mbappe scores 20th World Cup goal: France and England stage a fiery shootout for bronze"
description: "🔥 France and England staged a real battle for the 2026 World Cup bronze! Kylian Mbappe scored a brace and netted his 20th goal at World Cups, catching up with Messi in history. The score is 5:3 in favor of the English, but the game is not over yet! ⚽🏆"
date: 2026-07-18T22:52:24.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/mbappe-scores-20th-world-cup-goal-france-and-england-stage-a-fiery-shootout-for-bronze
tags: [mbappe, fifa-world-cup-2026, france-england, golden-boot, bukayo-saka]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Mbappe scores 20th World Cup goal: France and England stage a fiery shootout for bronze

![Comparison of Pelé and Kingsley Coman: both scored 6 goals at the 1970 and 2026 World Cups, but Mbappé scored his 20th goal at the World Cup in the France vs England bronze medal match](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/18/mbappe-zabil-20-y-gol-na-chm-frantsiya-i-angliya-ustroili-ognenную-perestrelokku-za-bronzu/mbappe-zabil-20-y-gol-na-chm-frantsiya-i-angliya-ustroili-ognenную-perestrelokku-za-bronzu-1.webp)

At the "Miami Stadium" in Florida, one of the brightest events of the FIFA 2026™ World Cup is unfolding. The third-place match between the France and England national teams has turned into a true goal fest. As of the 87th minute, the English team maintains a lead with a score of 5:3, but the French side is not giving up and continues to fight.

### Kylian Mbappe's historic brace

The main hero of the match for the French national team was forward Kylian Mbappe. During the game, he scored a brace, netting his 19th and 20th goals in the final stages of World Cups in his career. These precise strikes allowed the forward to move into sole second place on the all-time list of top scorers in World Cup history.

Now, the French talent has 20 goals to his name, placing him right at the top of the list. The leader of the rating remains Argentine forward Lionel Messi, the author of 21 goals at World Cups. Following them are legends Miroslav Klose (16 goals) and Ronaldo (15 goals).

### Match chronicle: from rout to struggle

The first half of the match went extremely poorly for the French. The England national team played a flawless first half, ending it with a score of 4:0. Among the guests, Declan Rice (3rd minute) and Ezri Konsa (18th minute) distinguished themselves. Bukayo Saka posed a special threat, completing a brace in the 37th and 45+1st minutes.

In the second half, the coaching staff of the French national team made a series of substitutions, including Bradley Barcola coming onto the field. This decision helped the team turn the tide of the game. The French managed to narrow the gap thanks to a goal by Barcola in the 54th minute and two goals by Kylian Mbappe, scored in the 48th and 66th minutes.

However, in the 87th minute, Bukayo Saka converted a penalty, increasing England's lead by two goals. Now, the fate of the bronze medals will be decided in the final minutes of regular time, and if necessary — in extra time or a penalty shootout.

### Battle for the "Golden Boot"

Kylian Mbappe's scoring prowess at the current tournament has intensified the competition in the race for individual awards. At the moment, Mbappe and Messi have an equal number of goals scored at the 2026 World Cup — 8 goals each. According to FIFA regulations, if this figure is equal, the holder of the "Golden Boot" is determined by the number of assists.

At the moment, Messi has 4 assists to his credit, while Mbappe has recorded 3 assists. The final results of the scoring race will be tallied after the final match between the Argentina and Spain national teams, but the Frenchman's contribution to the history of football is already indisputable.