Less than a week into the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have already made the goal-scoring look effortless — and they did it on the same day.
Messi put three past the opposing keeper on Wednesday, June 17, while France’s Mbappé added two of his own. Five goals. Two players. One afternoon on the world stage.
Early returns
The back-to-back performances by soccer’s two most prominent attackers came before the tournament had even finished its first full week — a pace that has drawn attention from viewers across the globe. Argentina’s captain has long been measured by World Cup production; he finally lifted the trophy in Qatar in 2022 after decades of near-misses. Mbappé, a decade younger, has been building his own case with France since his breakout in Russia in 2018.
Whether either player can sustain that output deep into the knockout rounds is the question no one can answer yet. The group stage is still running, meaning both Argentina and France face more matches before the bracket sets — and defenses will have film on both men by the time the pressure sharpens.
The Golden Boot race, awarded to the tournament’s top scorer, doesn’t get decided until the final is played. No date for that match has been announced.
Reported by NPR. Read the original report.
