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France captain Kylian Mbappe further solidified his status as an all-time tournament great on Tuesday, shattering the FIFA World Cup knockout stage scoring record during Les Bleus' clinical 3-0 Round of 16 victory over Sweden.
The 27-year-old forward's breathtaking brace at the New York New Jersey Stadium not only propelled France into a highly anticipated clash with Paraguay in the Round of 16, but it also moved him within striking distance of Lionel Messi's all-time tournament marks. Entering the match tied with Brazilian icon Ronaldo and legendary pre-war forward Leonidas at 8 career knockout stage goals, Mbappe's strikes in the 45th and 74th minutes pushed his total to 10 knockout stage goals, the most by any player in the history of the competition. Mbappe's knack for delivering when the stakes are highest has defined his international career. His updated goal tallies paint the picture of a player performing at unprecedented efficiency. In the knockout stage, he has now scored 10 goals, bypassing Ronaldo (8) & Leonidas (8) for the record. Mbappe's sixth goal of the tournament drew him level with Argentina legend Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. The brace also took his World Cup tally to 18 goals in just 18 appearances, leaving him one shy of Messi's all-time record of 19 goals, achieved across 29 World Cup matches. The French talisman's predatory efficiency was on full display against Sweden's compact defence. Supplied by a magnificent hat-trick of assists from playmaker Michael Olise, Mbappe twice found the bottom-right corner with his trademark blistering pace and lethal finishing. "We are witnessing football history in real-time," France manager Didier Deschamps said in his post-match press conference. "Kylian doesn't look at records before a match; he looks at open spaces. But his ability to consistently deliver on the world's biggest stage puts him in a category entirely of his own." The victory, France's biggest in a FIFA World Cup knockout match since their 3-0 triumph over Brazil in the 1998 final, set up a Round of 16 showdown with Paraguay on July 4, who stunned Germany in a penalty shootout. An offside flag ruled out Mbappe's 20th-minute opener before he later hit the post, failing to convert a low cross from Jules Kounde with the goal at his mercy. However, right before the first half, Mbappe put France ahead with a brilliant crossover step in the 45th minute. He received the ball from a corner, dribbled past two defenders and finished it in style, and after his goal, he ran directly to head coach Didier Deschamps to celebrate. Bradley Barcola then added a second for France in the 53rd minute. An assist for Olise as he found Barcola in the perfect position, and the French youngster made no mistake in beating the Swedish keeper. Mbappe then sealed the victory with a goal in the 74th minute, marking his third two-goal performance in his last four matches. Olise did another assist as Mbappe calmly found the back of the net. With a quarter-final fixture next on the horizon, the race for both the 2026 Golden Boot and all-time tournament immortality promises to dominate the headlines as the World Cup enters its final, decisive weeks. (ANI)
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