Kylian Mbappé is on the verge of continuing to expand his legend in the World Cup. The Real Madrid forward and figure of the French national team He has a historic record in his sights: becoming the top scorer in the knockout phases of the World Cups, a mark he currently shares with two icons of Brazilian soccer: Leônidas da Silva and Ronaldo Nazário.
This Tuesday, in the round of 32 duel of the 2026 World Cup against Sweden, in New Jersey, the French attacker and main figure of the French team in this World Cup will have the first opportunity to be alone with a record that reflects his impact in decisive moments.
Mbappé scores eight goals in eight elimination games direct, an exceptional average that demonstrates its ability to appear in the most demanding instances.
His history in crosses began in Russia 2018, a tournament in which France became champion. In that edition, the then young forward scored an unforgettable double against Argentina, in the round of 16, and scored again in the final against Croatia.
Four years later, in Qatar 2022, Mbappé established himself as the main reference for Les Bleus. In the round of 16 he punished Poland twice and, in the final, he produced a historic performance by scoring a hat-trick against Argentinaalthough France lost the title in the penalty shootout.
In total he has eight goals in two World Cups and eight direct elimination games, figures that place him among the greatest of all time at just 27 years old.
On par with Brazilian legends
The record that Mbappé shares is not minor. He is equaled by two historical names in Brazilian football.
Ronaldo Nazário He scored eight goals in ten knockout matches between 1998, 2002 and 2006. “O Fenômeno” was decisive in two Brazilian titles and had decisive performances, especially in Korea-Japan 2002, when he scored two goals in the final against Germany.
Leonidas da Silvaa figure in the 1938 World Cup, scored seven goals in four games—a tournament that did not have a group stage—and closed his tally with eight goals in World Cup matches.
Mbappé not only reached that mark, but also has a better scoring average than Ronaldo, which further enhances his achievement.
Advantage over Messi in this area
Although Lionel Messi is the all-time top scorer in the World Cups, with 19 goals, his record in direct elimination phases is lower.
The Argentine star has five goals in 12 direct elimination games, a figure lower than that of Mbappé, who has been more decisive in these instances despite playing fewer games.