France captain Kylian Mbappé has added another remarkable achievement to his growing legacy by becoming the highest scorer in FIFA World Cup knockout-stage history with 11 goals.
The 27-year-old forward reached the milestone after scoring in France’s 1-0 Round of 16 victory over Paraguay at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. His latest strike took his knockout tally to 11 goals across three World Cup tournaments, surpassing the previous record of eight goals jointly held by Brazil legends Ronaldo and Leônidas, a mark Mbappé had already equaled before extending it further.
Mbappé’s knockout goals have come consistently on football’s biggest stage. He scored three during France’s triumphant 2018 World Cup campaign, added five more at Qatar 2022—including a historic hat-trick in the final against Argentina—and has now contributed three in the 2026 tournament.
The French star has also climbed the all-time World Cup scoring charts. With 19 goals in World Cup matches, he sits just one goal behind Lionel Messi’s record of 20 and continues to strengthen his reputation as one of the greatest performers in the tournament’s history.
France’s impressive run has been powered by an outstanding attacking unit, with Mbappé leading the charge alongside Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise. Their performances have made France one of the favourites to lift the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy.
With the knockout rounds still underway, Mbappé has the opportunity to extend his historic record even further as France pursues another World Cup title and the prolific forward continues to rewrite football history.
