Mbappe breaks France record and Messi hits hat-trick as Kane prepares to answer at World Cup 2026

Kylian Mbappe broke France’s all-time goalscoring record and Lionel Messi struck a hat-trick against Algeria on one of the most remarkable evenings of the 2026 World Cup, setting the stage for Harry Kane to respond when England face Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday.

Mbappe surpasses Giroud

Mbappe had arrived at this World Cup under considerable scrutiny following a trophyless season with Real Madrid, and with Olivier Giroud’s France record within reach, the pressure was acute. He answered emphatically. After latching onto Michael Olise’s pass to open his account, Mbappe added a stunning long-range strike in stoppage time to seal a 3-1 win over Senegal — moving one clear of Giroud at the top of France’s all-time scoring charts and leaving him just two goals behind joint-World Cup record holders Miroslav Klose and Messi.

“It’s something I’ve always really wanted to do, and I’ve always placed that above everything else,” Mbappe said after the game. “Right now, I know why I’m here. I’m here to help the team. We’re going to keep trying to write a really big chapter in the history of the France team.”

France manager Didier Deschamps was equally effusive. “There are still people out there who will criticise him, but he is an extraordinary player,” Deschamps said. “He can win games in one moment. He didn’t score in the warm-up friendly games, but to break the record at the World Cup gives it more impact.”

Messi the ‘madman’

If Mbappe’s evening was extraordinary, Messi’s was arguably even more so. The 38-year-old Argentina captain plundered a hat-trick against Algeria to give the defending champions the ideal start to their title defence — prompting Erling Haaland to describe him, with some admiration, as a “madman”.

Haaland’s dream debut

Haaland himself was far from a bystander. The Manchester City striker marked his first-ever World Cup appearance with a brace against Iraq, finally bringing his prolific club form to football’s biggest stage after missing previous tournaments through injury and qualification failure.

Kane’s moment arrives

With Mbappe, Messi, and Haaland all having made emphatic early statements, the golden boot race is already taking shape — and Kane, the 2018 winner in Russia, now faces a defining opportunity. England’s Group B opener against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday gives the Bayern Munich striker the chance to announce himself among the tournament’s early frontrunners and remind the world why he remains one of the game’s most clinical finishers.