Mbappé Surpasses Pelé with 13th World Cup Goal, Ties for Fourth All-Time

Kylian Mbappé scored his 13th World Cup goal on Tuesday, surpassing Pelé to claim sole possession of fourth place on the tournament's all-time scoring list. The France striker opened the scoring in the 66th minute of France's World Cup opener against Senegal at East Rutherford, New Jersey, after squandering several earlier opportunities, including efforts denied by Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. The goal was Mbappé's 57th for the French national team, matching Olivier Giroud's national record. At 27 years old and playing in his third World Cup, Mbappé now sits one goal behind Germany's Gerd Müller and two behind Brazil's Ronaldo, with Germany's Miroslav Klose holding the all-time record of 16 World Cup goals. Mbappé is currently tied with Argentina's Lionel Messi and France's Just Fontaine at fourth place. The France forward, who helped France win the 2018 World Cup and reach the 2022 final—where he scored three goals despite the loss to Argentina—has emerged as a co-favorite for this tournament alongside Spain. Mbappé, recently crowned with the Ballon d'Or and playing alongside teammates Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé, scored 25 goals for Real Madrid during the 2025–26 season, also leading the Champions League with 15 goals.