The fight to become the top scorer in World Cup history adds a new chapter. Kylian Mbappé broke the silence and spoke about Lionel Messi, who hours after surpassing him and leaving him in fifth place among the all-time top scorers in the World Cups, came back and took advantage in this race since he entered as a starter in the Albiceleste's first game, although the Frenchman has already made it clear that he will continue pursuing the Argentine as he seeks to take his team to the last stages of the tournament.

One day before the match against Iraq, the French attacker spoke about Messi's impressive start to the 2026 World Cup and admitted that catching up with the Argentine captain will be a challenge of enormous magnitude.

"I already knew that Messi was going to continue scoring goals. He always does. He goes ahead and I go behind. I will continue scoring to help my team go as far as possible," said Mbappé at a press conference this Sunday.

Messi takes advantage in the historical table

The first day of the tournament left an immediate impact on the ranking of all-time World Cup scorers.

Kylian Mbappé scored a double against Senegal to reach 14 goals in World Cups, staying very close to the highest records in the competition, in the fourth place, to be exact.

However, hours later, it was the turn of Lionel Messi, who took the field and scored a spectacular hat-trick, reaching 16 World Cup goals and equaling the mark of Miroslav Klose, who for years occupied the top of the table alone; In addition, it displaced Mbappé to fifth place.

The difference between the two keeps open one of the most attractive stories of the tournament: the duel between two of the greatest figures in modern football for a privileged place in the statistical books of the World Cup.

Mbappé recognizes Messi as the best forward in the world

Far from fueling comparisons, the French striker openly praised the Argentine captain and placed him at the top of world football, when he was asked who was the best between Messi, him, Harry Kane or Erling Haaland.

"It is clear that Messi is the best in the world, so is Cristiano. For 16 years he has demonstrated the extraordinary quality he has. I only try to do what I know how to do: show my quality on the biggest possible stage and help my team," said the French attacker.

Mbappé's words reflect the respect that exists between two footballers who have starred in some of the most important moments in international football during the last decade.

France seeks to secure its classification

Beyond the scoring career, Mbappé's immediate objective is to secure France's ticket to the knockout phase.

The team led by Didier Deschamps will face Iraq in a key match for their aspirations within the group, and the forward hopes to once again be decisive in front of the rival goal.

“When you score goals you have more options to go far, and I want to win the World Cup,” he added.

The French team starts as one of the favorites for the title and a victory could bring it significantly closer to the round of 32.

A special match for Mbappé

The match against Iraq will also have a special meaning for the Real Madrid attacker.

The duel will represent his 100th match with the France shirt, a figure reserved for a very small group of footballers within the French national team.

"There is nothing bigger than the national team. Reaching 100 games is something historic, even more so if it happens in a World Cup. It is going to be a special game for me, but we need to win to qualify. I am very clear about it," he concluded.

At just 27 years old, Kylian Mbappé continues to accumulate elite numbers and now faces a double challenge: getting closer to Lionel Messi in the all-time World Cup scorers table and leading France in the search for a new world title.