Caught up with Messi and rewrote history. Mbappé scores against Paraguay
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
The French national team broke the deadlock in their 2026 World Cup round of 16 clash against Paraguay, thanks to their talisman Kylian Mbappé.
In the 70th minute, Les Bleus earned a penalty after substitute Désiré Doué forced a foul from the opposition inside the box. Mbappé stepped up to the spot and coolly converted the penalty, putting France ahead—1:0.
This goal marked the captain's seventh of the current World Cup campaign. With it, Mbappé caught up with Lionel Messi in the race for the tournament's top scorer—both now lead the golden boot standings with seven goals apiece.
On top of that, the forward continues to set unique records on the world stage. The match against Paraguay was his 19th appearance at a World Cup, and the goal—his 19th in the tournament. This means Mbappé maintains a phenomenal average of one goal per game at the World Cup.
