FIFA World Cup 2026: Mbappe moves level with Klose in WC goal involvements, trails only Messi
Massachusetts, June 27
France captain Kylian Mbappe etched his name deeper into football history as he equalled Miroslav Klose for the second-most goal involvements in FIFA World Cup history since 1966, with 20.
Only legendary Lionel Messi sits ahead of him with 26. Mbappe, the second-highest goal scorer in the history of the FIFA World Cup, failed to score in his side's clash against Norway but played a supporting role, providing two excellent assists for Ousmane Dembele, as per OptaJose.
Dembele's outstanding hat-trick powered France to a commanding 4-1 victory over Norway in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match in Boston on Friday.
Both sides had already secured qualification for the knockout stages after winning their opening two matches. France topped the group on goal difference heading into the fixture and required only a draw to finish first.
However, they emphatically ended the group stage, sealing a commanding victory to confirm top spot in Group I.
The Ballon d'Or winner opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a brilliant finish before doubling his tally in the 20th minute with a stunning strike from outside the box. Norway responded almost immediately through Thelo Aasgaard in the 21st minute, briefly reducing the deficit.
However, Dembele restored France's cushion in style, completing his hat-trick in the 32nd minute with a powerful finish to make it 3-1. His treble is the first first-half hat-trick at a FIFA World Cup in the 21st century.
Norway had a chance to claw its way back into the contest in the second half, but striker Jorgen Strand Larsen missed a penalty, further compounding their frustration in a difficult outing.
France winger Desire Doue then applied the finishing touch as he smashed the 4th goal in the 94th minute. The 21-year-old scored with a brilliant header after an excellent cross by his PSG teammate Bradley Barcola from the left.
Norway finished second in Group I to set up a round-of-32 game against the Ivory Coast in Dallas. Meanwhile, France will remain on the East Coast and face a third-place qualifier.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Yaar, but did anyone else notice how France struggled against Norway after the first 20 minutes? 😅 That missed penalty gave me heart attack vibes. Lucky for them Dembele was in God mode. Still, respect for Mbappe - he's carrying France like Messi carried Argentina in 2022.
Honestly, as a football fan from India, I'm just happy to see world-class players in action. Mbappe vs Messi debates aside, this French team is so balanced. And that Doue kid at 21 scoring a header like that? 🔥 Football is growing so much worldwide - even here in India, we're glued to these matches!
Messi's record will stand for a while, but Mbappe is the only one who can realistically challenge it. That said, I feel Norway played well - they just couldn't finish. The missed penalty really shifted the momentum. For India, we can only dream of reaching such heights. One day, perhaps. 🙏
Brilliant performance by France! Mbappe's assists were world class, and Dembele's hat-trick was something special. Looking forward to seeing how far this French team can go in 2026 - they look unstoppable right now!
Boss level display by France! 🐐 Mbappe is literally rewriting history books. But let's also give credit to Norway - they made a match of it for a while. India needs to learn from these European teams - the fitness, the tactics, the finishing. We have talent but need better infrastructure. Kudos to FIFA for making football global!