Deschamps Confident Mbappé Will Break Messi’s World Cup Scoring R

Lionel Messi currently stands as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, but France head coach Didier Deschamps believes that record could one day be broken by Kylian Mbappé.

After Mbappé scored twice in France’s 3-0 victory over Iraq national football team, the French captain reached another major milestone, taking his World Cup tally to 16 goals—level with Germany legend Miroslav Klose. At the top of the list is now Messi, who has extended his record to 18 World Cup goals after a brace against Austria.

Speaking after the match, Deschamps expressed strong belief in his star forward. “Records are meant to be broken,” he said. “He has now reached a symbolic number. He has played 100 international matches, and he has always scored goals—and he will continue to score in the future.”

The French coach also compared Mbappé’s trajectory with football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, noting the extraordinary longevity of both legends. “I don’t know if Mbappé will play until that age, but as long as he feels good and stays on the pitch, he will score many goals,” he added.

Deschamps further highlighted Mbappé’s unique ability to constantly improve: “Every time he breaks his own records and pushes himself higher. He has that capacity.”

The match against Iraq was also special for another reason—it marked Mbappé’s 100th international appearance for France. However, the game itself was unusual, with heavy rain and lightning causing a long suspension that created nearly a three-hour gap between his two goals.

When asked how the team spent the interruption, Deschamps joked: “We played cards.” He then laughed and clarified, “Actually, we were just waiting. The time kept getting pushed back. The most important thing was getting another warm-up session to avoid any risk.”

The France coach also admitted that the extreme weather conditions made the pitch extremely difficult, describing it as one of the most unusual experiences of his coaching career.

MMR