EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — After a season of relentless boos from Real Madrid supporters, there was a contagious smile on Kylian Mbappé’s face as a crowd of over 80,000 fans sang his praises at MetLife Stadium. It was anything but a vintage performance from Mbappé for a large part of France’s 3–1 win over Senegal on Tuesday. The Frenchman had a poor first half, and frustration radiated from the pitch to the stands. Mbappé’s poor touches and mistimed runs became nothing more than a distant memory, though, when he slotted home a first-time finish to give Les Bleus the lead in the 66th minute. There was a sense of relief from the players in blue.Thirty minutes later when Mbappé rifled off a sensational strike from 30 yards out into the top left corner, there was a sense of wonder in the air—and not just from the ridiculous goal. The world was witnessing one of the greatest goal scorers in World Cup history in action. And no, that’s not hyperbole. The World Stage Is Mbappe’s Home Kylian Mbappé won the World Cup as a teenager. | Matthias Hangst/Getty ImagesComing alive for his country when the lights are the brightest is nothing new for Mbappé. In fact, it was already second nature when he was just 19 years old, competing in his first-ever World Cup back in 2018.Surrounded by the likes of Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud, it was Mbappé that took center stage for Les Bleus in Russia. A teenager, somehow with nothing and everything to prove all at once, announced his arrival in capital letters, etching his place in the competition’s history before he even had a driver’s license. Mbappé got going early in the group stage, opening his account on the world stage in France’s 1–0 win over Peru. He then bagged a brace in the round of 16 against Argentina—a prophecy of sorts—before he found the back of the net in the final, helping France seal a 4–2 win over Croatia to claim its second World Cup title.Along with the golden trophy, Mbappé brought home the Best Young Player award. He also joined Pelé in the record books as the only two teenagers to ever score in a World Cup final. If he never did another thing in his career, his contributions to France’s second star would have been enough to earn a lifetime of respect from his country’s supporters.Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup. | Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty ImagesExcept four years later, it was the Mbappé show again. The forward, now 23 years old, picked up right where he left off in Russia, only this time he was shining in Qatar. He had three goals to his name by the end of the group stage, bagged a brace in his side’s 3–1 win over Poland in the round of 16 and then scored a goosebumps-inducing hat trick in the 2022 World Cup final.Mbappé’s heroics were not enough to deny Lionel Messi and Argentina their long-awaited title, but he came away from that runners-up finish with the competition’s Golden Boot, Silver Ball and another record, joining Geoff Hurst as the only two players to ever score a hat trick in a World Cup final. It had never been more clear that Mbappé was built for the world stage, much like his childhood hero Cristiano Ronaldo was built for the Champions League. Much like Messi was built for ... well, everything. Mbappé Is Well Within Reach of GreatnessKylian Mbappé found the breakthrough for France in the 66th minute. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports IllustratedAfter competing in only two World Cups, Mbappé already had 12 goals to his name, tied with Pelé for the sixth-most in the competition’s history. Before the 2026 World Cup kicked off, the gap between sixth and first place was marginal at best. Only four goals separated Mbappé and Germany legend Miroslav Klose, the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history. The Frenchman kickstarted his climb up the goalscoring charts in his first opportunity this summer, bagging his 13th and 14th World Cup goals in just his 15th appearance in the tournament. The brace stamped Mbappé’s name above Messi’s in the competition’s history books, and the Argentine legend is featuring in his sixth World Cup this summer. Outdoing Messi for any record is a feat in and of itself, but doing so on the world stage, with so many fewer appearances, is remarkable. All Time World Cup GoalscorersMiroslav Klose is the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer. | Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesRankPlayerAppearancesGoals1Miroslav Klose (Germany)24162Ronaldo (Brazil)19153Gerd Müller (Germany)13144Kylian Mbappé (France)1514T-5Lionel Messi (Argentina)2613T-5Just Fontaine (France)6137Pelé (Brazil)1412T-8Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany)1711T-8Sándor Kocsis (Hungary)511Mbappé’s brace also crowned him France’s all-time leading goalscorer, as well as France’s all-time World Cup goalscorer. At age 27, the Real Madrid star has now scored 58 goals for his country, and he’s not slowing down. The race is now on for Mbappé to widen the gap in France’s history books, while he also continues his ascent up the World Cup charts. He is now level with Gerd Müller, and three goals away from cementing himself as the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer. Is World Cup Glory Enough to Mend Mbappé’s Reputation?Kylian Mbappé is a polarizing figure. | Maurice van Steen/ANP/Getty Images“I am hated enough as it is!” Mbappé told Le Parisien when asked if he was interested in becoming the next president of France. The question comes after the 27-year-old was criticized for standing in front of French President Emmanuel Macron in a team photo ahead of the World Cup. He was also then photographed standing alongside the president, staring at Didier Deschamps’s squad.The photos did little to help the noise surrounding Mbappé. The forward has developed somewhat of a reputation as a figure who regards himself as above those in his company. He’s gone through seven managers in the last five and a half seasons. He all but refuses to pitch in defensively, much to the detriment of his teammates, and he was at the center of a locker room civil war at Real Madrid last season. Mbappé also saw Los Blancos’ fanbase turn on him in 2025–26 after the team put together its best stretch of results while he was out injured. The Frenchman did himself no favors when he went on an impromptu vacation the week before the final Clásico of the season. Over 52 million people signed a petition for him to leave the club. Kylian Mbappé has yet to help Real Madrid claim a major prize since he joined in 2024–25. | M. Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty ImagesThe criticisms are valid, especially since Mbappé—widely regarded as one of the best players in the world—has never won the Champions League, a Ballon d’Or award or even a major trophy for Real Madrid. Does any of that matter, though, if Mbappé becomes the greatest goalscorer in World Cup history this summer? It surely won’t if he also manages to lead France to a second World Cup title in eight years. Then, there can be no debate. Even if he doesn’t track back or press or tone down his ego, Mbappé will live forever in World Cup folklore before he even turns 30 years old. READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow