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A historic achievement
In yesterday’s victory in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup against Morocco, French strikers Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé made history. They became the first pair from the same national team to score five or more goals each in a single World Cup since the Brazilians Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002.
The figures, incidentally, are exactly the same so far.
Ronaldo scored 8 goals at the 2002 World Cup, and Mbappé has also scored 8 in this tournament. Rivaldo found the net 5 times in 2002, and Dembélé has likewise reached 5 goals in the tournament.
But the key point is ‘so far’. As the 2026 World Cup is not yet over, the French duo have the chance to surpass the records set by the legendary Brazilian partnership before the end of the competition.
Closer and closer to the top
Mbappé has, in fact, already overtaken Ronaldo in the ranking of the all-time leading goalscorers in World Cup history. The 27-year-old Real Madrid striker currently sits in second place, behind only Lionel Messi, winner of eight Ballon d’Or awards.
All-time leading goalscorers in FIFA World Cup history:
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Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 21 goals
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Kylian Mbappé (France) – 20 goals
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Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goals
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Ronaldo (Brazil) – 15 goals
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Gerd Müller (West Germany) / Harry Kane (England) – 14 goals
Mbappé has also recently overtaken Ronaldo in another respect: the number of goals scored for his national team. ‘O Fenômeno’ ended his career with 62 goals for Brazil, whilst the French star has already reached 64 for France.
Interestingly, however, although this figure makes Mbappé the all-time top scorer for the French national team, he is still some way off the Brazilian national team’s all-time top scorer, Neymar, who has scored 80 goals for his country.
Comparisons between the Ronaldo-Rivaldo and Mbappé-Dembélé partnerships have been inevitable – and not by chance. Just like the Brazilians in 2002, the French have been leading one of the most lethal attacks in this World Cup.
The key players behind the success
But they are not carrying this burden alone.
Even without scoring a single goal so far, Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise has been one of the standout performers in France’s campaign, providing six assists and playing a decisive role in creating chances.
This role – that of the team’s playmaker – was also evident in 2002, in the form of Ronaldinho, who provided three key assists during the tournament. Although that figure is half of what Olise has already recorded in 2026, Ronaldinho also found the net twice, something the Frenchman has yet to do.
The same path?
Another interesting parallel between Brazil and France lies in the context of their World Cup campaigns.
2002 marked Brazil’s third consecutive World Cup final. The team had lifted the trophy in 1994 (against Italy), reached the final and lost in 1998 (against France), and finally became champions again in 2002 (against Germany).
France is in a very similar situation. The French lifted the trophy in 2018 (against Croatia), reached the final but failed to win in 2022 (against Argentina), and are now attempting to follow in Brazil’s footsteps, aiming to reach the final again this year and win the title once more.
There is, however, one detail that may leave French fans feeling a little apprehensive. Since their 2002 title, Brazil have never again reached a World Cup final, having been knocked out before the final in every subsequent tournament.
The legacy at the ‘Ballon d'Or’
In any case, that 2002 championship-winning generation has gone down in football history forever. And two of the key players from that team, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, have also left their mark on the ‘Ballon d'Or’.
Ronaldo and Rivaldo at the ‘Ballon d'Or’:
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Ronaldo – 9 nominations and 2 wins (1997 and 2002)
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Rivaldo – 6 nominations and 1 win (1999)
These figures show that Brazilian players still hold the edge at the Ballon d'Or, with a total of 15 nominations and 3 wins. Meanwhile, the French stars of 2026 have a total of 9 nominations and 1 win.
Mbappé and Dembélé at the ‘Ballon d'Or’:
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Kylian Mbappé – 8 nominations
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Ousmane Dembélé – 1 nomination and 1 win (2025)
Ronaldinho and Olise can also be compared from this perspective, with the Brazilian once again holding the advantage, with 6 nominations and 1 win (2005), whilst Olise has only 1 nomination to date.
It is important to remember, however, that there is a difference in context. The figures for Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho represent careers that have already come to an end, whilst Mbappé, Dembélé and Olise are still in their prime and have plenty of time to improve their records.
The final parallel
For those who believe in fate, there is one final sign that the French duo of 2026 may be following in the footsteps of the Brazilian duo of 2002.
When Ronaldo and Rivaldo won the World Cup in 2002, Brazil were making their 17th appearance in the tournament’s history.
Incredible as it may seem, the 2026 World Cup also marks France’s 17th appearance in the tournament’s history.
So, are the stars really aligning?
Will Mbappé and Dembélé be the new Ronaldo and Rivaldo?
Will they lift the trophy and cement their names amongst the greatest duos in World Cup history?
We’ll find out very soon.
