The 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered another wave of landmark moments as the tournament enters its knockout phase, with multiple players adding new milestones to the sport’s history books.
Mbappé sets a new knockout-stage scoring benchmark
After the Round of 32 finished and the competition moved into the Round of 16, France captain Kylian Mbappé took centre stage by becoming the leading marksman in FIFA World Cup knockout-stage history.
The 27-year-old reached the milestone by netting twice in France’s 3-0 win over Sweden in their Round of 32 tie on June 30.
Mbappé also holds the best scoring frequency among currently active players at this level, averaging 1.11 goals per match in knockout games.
Messi adds to his knockout tally as Argentina advances
Argentina captain Lionel Messi is one of four players to have reached six goals in World Cup knockout-stage matches. He added to that total by scoring in Argentina’s tense Round of 32 encounter, a 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde.
FIFA highlights how rare elite knockout scoring has become
FIFA’s statistics underlined just how exceptional such production is at this stage of the competition, noting that only 20 players in the tournament’s history have managed to score at least five goals in knockout matches.
The figures place Mbappé’s achievement in sharper focus while also emphasizing Messi’s ongoing impact on the biggest football stage.
Top 10 knockout-stage scorers
Here are the top 10 FIFA World Cup knockout-stage top scorers:
- Kylian Mbappé
- Lionel Messi
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