Kylian Mbappe beats Messi in Golden Boot race, scores from penalty in Paraguay vs France: FIFA World Cup 2026 stats
Kylian Mbappe's penalty secured a 1-0 win for France over Paraguay, advancing them to the quarter-finals against Morocco.
Kylian Mbappe's penalty proved the difference as France edged Paraguay 1-0. Les Bleus advance to the quarter-finals, where Morocco await them next. France are chasing another World Cup final appearance under Didier Deschamps.
Mbappe's goal was France's 150th World Cup goal. They became only the 4th nation to reach that landmark. Brazil, Germany and Argentina are the only others to have done so.
France have now won 5 consecutive World Cup games for the very first time. Deschamps has won 10 World Cup knockout matches as France manager. That is the most by any manager in World Cup history.
Mbappe now has 19 World Cup goals overall, 1 behind all-time leader Leo Messi. He has scored 7 or more goals in 2 different World Cups. Only Messi has previously achieved that remarkable feat.
His 11 knockout-stage World Cup goals extend his all-time lead significantly. Brazil's Ronaldo is now 3 goals behind him in that category. Mbappe is also the only player to score 3 or more knockout goals at 3 different World Cups. Only 3 others have managed the feat across 2 tournaments.
This was Mbappe's 7th World Cup game-winning goal overall. He equals Grzegorz Lato as the record holder for that category.
Paraguay's performance with the ball was poor throughout last night. They completed just 99 passes, the lowest ever in a World Cup knockout match.
Their passing accuracy of 54% from 183 attempted passes is also a record. It is the lowest passing accuracy in a World Cup knockout game in 60 years.
France will play Morocco next in the quarter-finals. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be held on 10 July in Boston. The match starts at 1:30 AM for viewers in India.
Golden Boot Standings
Kylian Mbappe now leads the Golden Boot race with 7 goals and 2 assists. Lionel Messi sits joint-first on goals with 7 but has recorded no assists yet. The GOAT reached this tally with his haul in Argentina's previous match.
Erling Haaland and Harry Kane are level in the 3rd place with 5 goals each. Neither has registered an assist at the tournament so far.
Ousmane Dembele occupies the 5th place with 4 goals and 2 assists. Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal and Brazil's Vinicius Junior follow with 4 goals and 1 assist each. Senegal's Ismaila Sarr also sits on 4 goals and 1 assist in the 8th position.
Germany's Deniz Undav and Switzerland's Johan Manzambi round out the top 10. Both players have scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists apiece.
FIFA 2026: Useful links
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Sounak Mukhopadhyay covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast-moving stories, box office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments. He combines real-time updates with clear context for everyday readers. <br><br> Sounak brings newsroom experience across breaking news, explainers and long-form features. He has a strong emphasis on accuracy, verification and responsible storytelling. His work tracks audience behaviour, celebrity influence and the business of sport and cinema. He helps readers understand why a story matters beyond the headline. <br><br> Sounak has contributed to widely read digital publications. He continues to build a body of journalism shaped by consistency, speed and editorial clarity. He is particularly interested in the intersection of media, popular culture and public conversation in contemporary India. <br><br> At LiveMint, he writes daily coverage as well as analytical pieces that interpret numbers, trends and cultural moments in accessible language. His approach prioritises factual depth, balanced framing and reader trust. The reporting aligns with modern newsroom standards of transparency and credibility. <br><br> Outside daily reporting, he explores storytelling across formats including podcasts, filmmaking and narrative non-fiction. Through his journalism, Sounak aims to document the rhythms of modern entertainment and sports while maintaining rigorous editorial integrity. <br><br> Sounak continues to develop audience-focused journalism that connects speed with substance in a rapidly-changing information environment. His work seeks clarity, trust and lasting public value in every story he reports.
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