Kylian Mbappé became the fastest footballer to reach 15 goals in the history of the World Cups. The French forward reached that figure in just 16 games, a mark that places him ahead of legends such as Ronaldo Nazário, Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi.
The captain of France reached 15 World Cup goals this Monday, June 22, by scoring against Iraq on the second day of Group I of the 2026 World Cup. With this score, he established a new benchmark for scoring speed in football’s top competition.
Until now, Ronaldo Nazário was the player who had reached 15 goals in fewer games, achieving it in 18 games. Klose, the all-time top scorer in the men’s World Cup with 16 goals, needed 20 games to reach that number, while Messi reached 15 goals after a longer career in the competition (27).
A constant progression
Mbappé built this brand over three World Cups. In Russia 2018 he scored four goals, in Qatar 2022 he added eight and in the 2026 edition he already has three goals in his first two games.
The consistency of the French striker has allowed him to remain among the main scorers in each tournament he has played.
On the verge of another record
At 27 years old, Mbappé still has room to continue expanding his World Cup records. With 15 goals in just 16 games, the French striker is already among the top scorers in the history of the competition.
Although Lionel Messi took the all-time lead in the World Cup by scoring 18 goals with Argentina, Mbappé is only three goals away from equaling that mark and maintains a significant advantage in terms of age and projection.
In addition to his individual qualities, the Frenchman has the support of a team that continues to compete among the main powers of international football, a factor that increases his chances of playing more matches and continuing to score goals in future editions of the tournament.
Due to performance, consistency and career margin, Mbappé appears as one of the main candidates to challenge Messi’s historical record in the coming years.