Kylian Mbappé

Mbappé reached two milestones during the 2026 group stage on 22 June 2026: his 100th France cap, the youngest Frenchman in history to reach that mark, and his 16th World Cup goal, equalling Miroslav Klose's men's all-time record. Didier Deschamps named him in France's final 26-man squad on 14 May 2026 and confirmed him as captain in what Deschamps announced would be his own final World Cup as head coach; the semitendinosus injury Mbappé sustained in late April had not curtailed his tournament.

In the quarter-final against Morocco in Boston on 9 July, Mbappé missed a first-half penalty saved by Yassine Bounou, then scored after the hour from a Désiré Doué pass as France won 2-0 to reach the semi-finals, ending the last African side's run in the tournament's record ten-nation African entry. The goal took Mbappé level with Lionel Messi on eight tournament goals, with Mbappé leading the Golden Boot race on the assist tiebreaker. Reaching Klose's all-time World Cup goals record before the semi-finals keeps alive the possibility of Mbappé standing alone as the men's all-time top scorer by the tournament's end.

Kylian Mbappé, Born 20 December 1998 in Bondy, France, is France's national team captain and a Real Madrid forward. He announced himself globally at Russia 2018, becoming the second teenager after Pelé to score in a World Cup final as France lifted the trophy, and is France's all-time leading international scorer. At Qatar 2022 he was the tournament's top scorer with eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final against Argentina, though France lost on penalties. He joined Real Madrid in summer 2024 after seven seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, a move long anticipated across European football. At 27, Mbappé is at the peak of his powers and one of the defining figures of his generation.