Kylian Mbappe has downplayed any notion of a personal rivalry with Lionel Messi, even as both superstars continue to climb the all-time FIFA World Cup goal charts. The French captain struck twice in France’s 3-0 victory over Iraq, equalling Miroslav Klose’s tally of 16 World Cup goals. The win also confirmed France’s progression to the knockout stages with a second successive triumph.

France secure early qualification as Mbappe shines once more

Mbappe carried on his extraordinary World Cup scoring streak, finding the back of the net twice during France’s dominant 3-0 win against Iraq. Didier Deschamps’ side maintained their flawless record from their opening two fixtures and sealed a spot in the next round. The match, held in Philadelphia, was temporarily suspended for more than two hours due to severe thunderstorms before resuming.

Despite the long weather delay, Les Bleus stayed composed after the restart, adding a third goal through Ousmane Dembele to complete the convincing win. Mbappe’s brace lifted his total to 16 career World Cup goals, drawing level with Germany legend Miroslav Klose and surpassing Brazil icon Ronaldo in the all-time standings.

Mbappe insists focus is on France, not on Messi

As the football world continues to focus on the goal-scoring duel between Mbappe and Messi, the French forward brushed aside any speculation about a personal competition with his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate.

“There is no saga with Messi,” Mbappe told ESPN. “Leo has scored, he scores, and he will always score. I don’t watch what he does; if I did, I’d have to do more. I only concentrate on my team. When you score goals, of course, you move closer to such milestones, but for me, what matters most is our progress as a team.”

France captain continues to break records

Mbappe’s latest double came on his 100th international appearance for France, leaving him just two goals short of Messi’s 18 World Cup strikes. His rapid ascent has firmly cemented his position among the competition’s elite goal scorers. Head coach Didier Deschamps expressed confidence that the Real Madrid star will continue to set new records in the years ahead.

“Records are meant to be broken,” Deschamps said after the match. “He’s reached 100 caps now, and he will keep scoring many more goals. Whether it’s Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, I’m not sure Kylian will play until their age, but as long as he’s on the field, he’ll keep scoring. He has the ability to push the record even further.”

France aim for another deep World Cup campaign

With qualification already guaranteed and six points from two matches, France can now focus on sustaining their rhythm heading into the knockout rounds. Mbappe’s prolific form remains key to their ambitions of capturing another World Cup crown. In their final group fixture, Les Bleus are set to face Norway at Boston Stadium on Friday, in a match that will feature a high-profile clash between two of the world’s premier forwards—Mbappe and Erling Haaland.