---
title: "The New King of Goals: How Messi Surpassed Klose and Why Mbappé is Already on the Brink of the Record"
description: "Lionel Messi has set a historic World Cup record, scoring his 18th goal and overtaking Miroslav Klose! 🐐🏆 However, his leadership is under threat: Kylian Mbappé is only 4 goals behind and could overtake the legend before the end of the tournament. 🇦🇷🆚🇫🇷"
date: 2026-06-22T20:28:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/messi-record-wc-2026-race-with-mbappe
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# The New King of Goals: How Messi Surpassed Klose and Why Mbappé is Already on the Brink of the Record

![Lionel Messi in the Argentina national team jersey holding a trophy, symbolizing his achievement in the World Cup goals record](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/22/messi-rekord-chm-2026-gonka-s-mbappe/messi-rekord-chm-2026-gonka-s-mbappe-1.webp)

A historic turning point in football occurred during the 2026 World Cup. Argentina's leader and reigning world champion, Lionel Messi, scored two goals against the Austrian national team, setting an absolute record for the number of goals scored in World Cup tournaments. He now has 18 goals to his name.

This brace allowed the Argentine to finally leave German Miroslav Klose behind, who had held the lead for 12 years. Klose ended his career with 16 goals, but Messi managed not only to catch up but to surpass this result.

### The Road to the Summit: From the First Goal to the Historic Record

The path to this zenith of glory was long and thorny. Before the start of the current tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, Messi had 13 goals, which placed him in a tie for fifth place with the legendary Frenchman Just Fontaine. However, the 2026 World Cup became decisive for him.

Already in the first match against Algeria (3:0), the Argentine scored a hat-trick, allowing him to equal the historical leader. And the decisive step—a brace against Austria—cemented his title as the top scorer in World Cup history.

### World Cup Chronicles: Ups and Downs

Messi's career in World Cup tournaments spans two decades and includes both triumphs and painful defeats:

    - **WC 2006 (Bright Start):** In his debut match against Serbia and Montenegro, the young Messi came on as a substitute and immediately made a difference, scoring a goal and providing an assist. Argentina crushed the opponent 6:0.

    - **WC 2010 (Goalless Streak):** The only tournament where Messi did not score. Under the leadership of Diego Maradona, the national team was eliminated in the quarterfinals, and the attacking leader was limited to one assist.

    - **WC 2018 (The Setback):** The tournament ended for the Argentines in the round of 16 after a defeat to France (3:4). Messi played all 4 matches, scoring one goal and making two assists.

    - **WC 2022 (Qatar Peak):** The most productive and victorious tournament. On the way to the World Cup, Messi scored 7 goals.

    - **WC 2026 (New Leader):** In the current edition, the 38-year-old forward is demonstrating incredible efficiency. In two matches, he has scored 5 goals, leading the scoring race.

### The Threat from Mbappé: The Race Continues

Despite this historic achievement, the status of "King of Goals" may be temporary for Messi. He already has a serious competitor who could not only catch up but overtake him before the end of the tournament. We are talking about the French forward Kylian Mbappé.

The situation looks tense for the Argentine if we analyze the numbers:

    - **Age Factor:** Messi set the record at 38 years old in his fifth World Cup (28 matches). Mbappé, who is 27, has 14 goals to his credit, having played only his third tournament (15 matches).

    - **Current Form:** The Frenchman has already burst into the top 5 all-time scorers thanks to a brace in the match against Senegal (3:1).

    - **The Gap:** Mbappé is only 4 goals behind Messi. Given the attacking potential of the French national team, he is fully capable of closing this gap in the remaining matches.

Thus, the race for the title of the best scorer in World Cup history is only gaining momentum, and the finale of this confrontation is yet to be seen.