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France head coach Didier Deschamps has backed captain Kylian Mbappe to eventually break the all-time FIFA World Cup goals record after the striker scored another double in France's 3-0 win over Iraq on Monday (local time).
Mbappe's third and fourth goals of the tournament took him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, bringing him closer to the all-time benchmark. Currently, Argentine legend Lionel Messi is leading the iconic list with 18 goals. Messi broke Klose's record after he scored a brace against Austria. Coach Deschamps praised the 27-year-old forward's consistency and goal-scoring ability, while suggesting that more records are likely to follow. "Well, records are there to be broken. And now he has a symbolic figure. He has 100 caps. He's always scored goals. He will score more goals. Take Messi, take (Cristiano) Ronaldo. I'm not sure that Kylian will play up to their age, but as long as he's on the pitch and as he feels right, he will score a lot of goals. "Every time he beats his own record, he does have the capacity to up his ante," Deschamps said in the post-match press conference, as quoted by Reuters. Mbappe produced another record-breaking performance as France defeated Iraq 3-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026, reaching 100 international appearances and scoring twice. The 27-year-old became the 10th player to reach 100 caps for France and the youngest to do so at 27 years and 184 days, while also extending his remarkable World Cup record. Mbappe opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a powerful strike from the edge of the box after linking up with Michael Olise, taking his World Cup tally to 15 goals on his 100th international appearance. He added his second in the 54th minute, capitalising on a defensive error involving goalkeeper Ahmed Basil to tap into an empty net after a turnover created by Ousmane Dembele. With his brace, Mbappe moved to 16 World Cup goals, equalling Germany's Miroslav Klose and moving within two goals of Lionel Messi's record of 18. He also became only the fourth player in history to score two or more goals in at least three successive World Cup appearances. Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembele also scored his first major international tournament goal in his 20th appearance, helping France strengthen their status as title contenders. (ANI)
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