French star Kylian Mbappé is one of the great figures of the FIFA World Cup. Mbappé could enter the record books, both for France and globally, if he achieves important marks as a goalscorer in this tournament.

If he scores one goal, he would tie Olivier Giroud as France's all-time top scorer with 57 goals, though in fewer matches. Giroud needed 137 appearances, while Mbappé has only 96.

With one more goal, he would tie Just Fontaine as France's all-time top scorer in World Cups with 13 goals — Fontaine scored all of his in Sweden 1958.

If he scores five goals, he would surpass Miroslav Klose as the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 17 goals.

Kylian Mbappé and other milestones

Kylian Mbappé arrives at the 2026 World Cup at age 27 with 12 World Cup goals, tied with Pelé. However, the French striker prioritizes collective success: "I would sign to win the World Cup without scoring a single goal."

Beyond these marks, Mbappé seeks to extend other records. He is the player with the most goals in World Cup finals — he already has four: one in the 2018 Russia final and a hat-trick in Qatar 2022. To increase that, France will need to reach a third consecutive final.

He is also the leader in goals in World Cup knockout stages with eight, tied with Brazilians Ronaldo and Leonidas. One more goal would make him the sole leader.

With 12 goals in just 14 World Cup matches (4 in 2018 and 8 in 2022), Mbappé maintains an average of 0.86 goals per match, the highest among all-time top scorers. For perspective: Klose needed 24 matches and 4 World Cups to reach 16 goals.

Mbappé could surpass all World Cup goalscorers in this edition, becoming the all-time top scorer at just 27 years old and with only three World Cup appearances.

Records or title?

Mbappé has been clear on this point: "I would sign to win the World Cup without scoring a single goal. I would be the first to celebrate it."

The Frenchman prioritizes the title above individual records, although both objectives seem perfectly compatible given his goalscoring ability.

France debuts in the 2026 World Cup against Senegal this June 16, and all eyes will be on whether Mbappé begins his assault on history from the very first match.