Kylian Mbappe achieves rare World Cup feat alongside Lionel Messi

By Aditya Rao — 10 July 2026 — 3 min read

Kylian Mbappe joined Lionel Messi in an exclusive FIFA World Cup club after his performance in France’s 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Morocco. The French forward’s display, which included a goal, an assist, and a missed penalty, marked a rare achievement in the tournament’s history.

This particular feat has only occurred four times in the last 60 years of the World Cup. Notably, two of these instances have taken place recently, with Lionel Messi achieving it against Egypt and Kylian Mbappe against Morocco. The first player to accomplish this was Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan against the Czech Republic at the 2006 World Cup, followed by Karim Benzema during France’s 5-2 win over Switzerland in the 2014 edition.

Mbappe’s impactful performance

During the match against Morocco, Mbappe was brought down inside the penalty area in the 25th minute by defender Noussair Mazraoui. After a VAR review, he took the penalty, but his shot was saved by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Despite the miss, Mbappe quickly made an impact.

In the 60th minute, Mbappe scored his eighth goal of the 2026 World Cup, bringing his total World Cup goals to 20. Just six minutes later, he provided an assist for Ousmane Dembele, who then doubled France’s lead. This performance continued Mbappe’s strong record in the tournament.

This marked the third time Mbappe has both scored and assisted in a single World Cup match. Only Lionel Messi has achieved this more often, with five such games in the last 60 years. Mbappe also became the first player since 1966 to contribute to 10 or more goals in two different World Cups, having 10 goal contributions in 2022 and 11 in the 2026 edition.

His 20th World Cup goal places him one goal shy of Messi’s total of 21. The 27-year-old Mbappe has played in fewer World Cup editions compared to Messi, making his goal tally particularly notable.

France’s continued success

The victory against Morocco secured France’s place in the World Cup semifinals for the third consecutive tournament, following appearances in 2018 and 2022. This achievement makes them only the third nation to reach three consecutive semifinals, a feat previously accomplished by Germany and Brazil.

This also marked France’s eighth World Cup semifinal appearance, matching Brazil for the second-highest number in tournament history. Only Germany has more semifinal appearances, with 12. France will now prepare to face either Spain or Belgium in the semifinals as they aim to defend their title.

The paths of Mbappe and Messi in this World Cup have shown both similarities and differences. Both players have been central to their teams’ progress, with Messi’s tournament often characterized by high performance amidst chaotic matches for Argentina. In contrast, Mbappe and France have appeared to navigate the knockout stages with more serenity, not having been taken to extra-time or conceded goals in this phase of the competition.

Despite a missed penalty, Mbappe did not appear to be affected, with his coach noting the absence of doubt. He continued to find ways to impact the game, culminating in his 20th World Cup goal. Towards the end of the match, Mbappe signaled for a substitution due to a minor ankle issue, which was described as a precautionary measure, as evidenced by his celebratory demeanor at full-time.

Both players are pursuing a second World Cup title. Mbappe, who plays for Real Madrid, has been a key reason for France’s success, scoring seven goals in five matches in the current tournament. He is aiming for his third consecutive World Cup final appearance. The France vs. Morocco quarterfinal match took place on Thursday, July 9.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com