Kylian Mbappé just did something no footballer has ever done. The French forward scored twice against Iraq on June 22, becoming the first player in history to record two or more goals in six different World Cup matches.

The brace against Iraq brought Mbappé’s career World Cup goal tally to 16, scored across just 16 games. Those 16 goals now put him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for second place on the all-time men’s World Cup scoring list. The only man ahead of him is Lionel Messi, who holds the record with 18.

His six multi-goal World Cup performances span three separate tournaments. In 2018, he scored twice against Argentina in the round of 16 when he was just 19 years old. In 2022, he recorded braces against Denmark in the group stage, Poland in the round of 16, and a hat trick against Argentina in the final. In 2026, he’s added multi-goal games against both Senegal and Iraq.

The breakdown by tournament: four goals in Russia 2018, eight goals in Qatar 2022, and four goals in the 2026 edition so far.

Klose needed 24 World Cup appearances to reach 16 goals. Ronaldo (the Brazilian one) scored 15 in 19 games. Mbappé has matched or surpassed those totals in 16 appearances.

The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

With 16 World Cup goals, Mbappé sits just two behind Messi’s all-time record of 18. Messi’s record was set across five World Cup campaigns stretching from 2006 to 2022.

The 2022 final against Argentina remains the defining performance of his World Cup career so far. Trailing 2-0 with minutes left, Mbappé scored twice in 97 seconds to force extra time, then added a third from the penalty spot. France ultimately lost the shootout, but Mbappé’s hat trick in a World Cup final cemented his status as a generational talent.