Houston: Kylian Mbappe has etched his name deeper into FIFA World Cup history after breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-standing knockout goal record during France’s dominant win over Sweden in the Round of 32.
The French superstar struck twice in a commanding 3-0 victory, taking his knockout-stage tally to 10 goals and setting a new benchmark in World Cup history. The result also helped France secure a comfortable passage into the Round of 16, continuing their strong run in the tournament.
Mbappe sets new knockout scoring benchmark
With his brace against Sweden, Mbappe moved ahead of Brazilian legends Ronaldo Nazario and Leonidas, who both previously held the record with eight knockout goals each. The French forward now stands alone at the top with 10 goals in the knockout phase of the World Cup.
The 28-year-old, who plays club football for Real Madrid, has now scored 18 World Cup goals overall, further strengthening his reputation as one of the most lethal forwards in the competition’s history.
His performance also saw him surpass Germany’s Miroslav Klose in the all-time World Cup scoring charts, adding another milestone to his growing list of achievements on football’s biggest stage.
Ronaldo and Messi left behind in knockout race
The latest record has also highlighted the contrasting knockout records of football’s modern greats. Lionel Messi, despite being the all-time leading World Cup scorer with 19 goals, has managed only five goals in knockout matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, surprisingly remains without a single knockout goal in World Cup history, making Mbappe’s record even more remarkable in comparison.
Olise provides creative spark as France dominate
France’s attacking display was powered by an outstanding creative performance from Michael Olise, who registered a hat-trick of assists. Mbappe capitalised on the service, finishing clinically with two trademark runs behind the Swedish defence.
France manager Didier Deschamps praised his talisman, stating that Mbappe’s ability to perform consistently on the biggest stage places him in a unique category among football greats.
France continue strong World Cup campaign
The victory marked one of France’s most convincing knockout wins in recent World Cup history and their biggest since the 3-0 triumph over Brazil in the 1998 final.
France will now face Paraguay in the Round of 16 on July 4, after the South American side stunned Germany in a dramatic penalty shootout earlier in the tournament.