England secured third place in the World Cup after defeating France 6–4 in an incredible match that will go down in football history.

The English side were at their best in the first half and went into the break with a 4–0 lead over Didier Deschamps’ team, who was managing his final match in charge of ‘Les Bleus’.

France’s comeback

In the second half, the story changed completely. Kylian Mbappé led the French side’s comeback attempt with a formidable performance.

The French captain scored a brace and provided an assist to bring his side to 3–4 on the scoreboard, coming very close to securing a draw in a madcap match.

Although England reacted in time in the closing stages to secure victory, the match was a memorable battle and provided the perfect backdrop for a historic record set by Mbappé.

A record for the ages

Despite the defeat, this match will go down in the history books thanks to the French number 10’s feat at this World Cup.

Thanks to his brace against England, Mbappé reached 22 World Cup goals and officially became the tournament’s all-time top scorer.

The winner of the 2024 Gerd Müller Trophy surpassed Lionel Messi’s tally by one goal and now holds the record outright.

Here is the all-time World Cup goalscoring list:

  1. Kylian Mbappé (France) – 22 goals

  2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 21 goals

  3. Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goals

  4. Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) – 15 goals

  5. Gerd Müller (Germany) – 14 goals

  6. Harry Kane (England) – 14 goals

  7. Just Fontaine (France) – 13 goals

  8. Pelé (Brazil) – 12 goals

The future looks bright for Mbappé

France finished the World Cup in fourth place, whilst Mbappé ended his campaign with 10 goals and 4 assists.

It was a fantastic individual tournament for the French striker, who has etched his name into World Cup history.

At 27 years of age, the striker – who has been nominated eight times for the Ballon d'Or – will be able to play in further World Cups in the future.

So… how high will his all-time record go?