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Kylian Mbappe is on track to becoming the World Cup's greatest ever player, having made it to two successful finals with France at the tournament.
The Frenchman has bagged four World Cup final goals, the most of any player ever, and won the 2022 edition's Golden Boot.
During Argentina vs Austria , Lionel Messi became the tournament's highest goalscorer of all time, but how close is Mbappe to him?
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How many World Cup goals does Kylian Mbappe need to overtake Lionel Messi?
If the Frenchman is indeed to go down as the greatest World Cup player ever, his rivalry with Messi is an integral part of the story.
Mbappe delivered perhaps the greatest performance from a player on the losing side against Argentina in 2022, but, four years prior, he was the standout for France in their 4-3 victory over Messi's side en-route to their 2018 victory.
With Messi's brace vs Austria, two glorious, but typical, strikes slotted into the net, he bagged his 17th and 18th World Cup goals.
That number took him above the previous record holder, Germany's Miroslav Klose , who hit 16 for his national side.
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Prior to Klose, the record was held by Ronaldo Nazario with 15, standing from 2006 to 2014.
Before that, Gerd Muller held the record with 14 for almost three decades, but Messi's current record could last for just three games.
Mbappe has 15 goals for France at the tournament, and recently bagged a brace vs Senegal , followed by a fine left-footed strike against Iraq to get him to that number.
The only other active player in the Top 10 World Cup goalscorers of all time, is England 's Harry Kane with 10 strikes in tenth.
After Iraq, who conceded four to Norway , Mbappe and France take on the Erling Haaland -led national side this Friday.
Beyond the all-time scoring race, Messi has a three-goal lead over the Frenchman in the hunt for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot.
If Mbappe can replicate his brace against Senegal in those two games and hope for an already qualified Argentina to slow down and perhaps rest Messi, then the Frenchman could be in business.
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