Miami Gardens, Florida: Kylian Mbappé etched his name into FIFA World Cup history on Saturday, becoming the tournament's all-time leading goalscorer after scoring twice in France's thrilling 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place playoff.

The France captain's brace took his career World Cup tally to 22 goals, moving him past Lionel Messi's previous record of 21. However, the milestone came in a losing cause as England claimed the bronze medal in a dramatic 10-goal encounter.

Despite setting the new scoring benchmark, Mbappé admitted he would have traded the individual achievement for a place in Sunday's World Cup final.

Also read | ‘We played a disgraceful first-half’: Didier Deschamps after France's 6-4 defeat to England

"I would have preferred not to be the top scorer in history," Mbappé told Fox Sports in French. "and play in the match tomorrow."

Golden Boot within reach

Mbappé finished the 2026 FIFA World Cup with 10 goals, two ahead of Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament's highest scorer.

If Messi fails to overtake him in the final against Spain, Mbappé will become the first player to win the Golden Boot twice, having also claimed the award at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

His tally of 10 goals also equals the third-highest single-tournament scoring record in World Cup history, behind Just Fontaine's 13 goals (1958) and Sándor Kocsis' 11 (1954), while matching Gerd Müller's 10 goals in 1970.

France's spirited comeback

France looked out of contention after falling 4-0 behind at halftime.

Mbappé sparked the comeback by scoring in the 48th minute before Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé also found the net.

His second goal in the 66th minute reduced the deficit to 4-3 and officially took him past Messi's career World Cup record.

Michael Olise also enjoyed a landmark evening, providing two assists to take his tournament total to seven, setting a new World Cup record for assists.

'We were completely stunned'

Reflecting on France's performance, Mbappé acknowledged the team's disappointing first-half display.

"There were two very different halves," Mbappé said. "During the first one, I can understand why some people think we made fools of ourselves and didn't do the jersey justice. I'd say instead that we were human, and we can't afford to be. We were completely stunned, and they really shook us awake."

Tribute to Didier Deschamps

The defeat also marked the final match of Didier Deschamps' 14-year reign as France coach.

Mbappé said the players desperately wanted to end their coach's tenure with a victory.

"In the end, we didn't win, and that's a shame for the coach," Mbappé said. "The first half gives the impression that we let him down — that's not at all how we wanted him to feel. This match isn't going to tarnish Didier Deschamps' legacy."

Deschamps, who guided France to the 2018 World Cup title and the 2022 final, reflected emotionally on his time in charge.

"It is the end of a journey which represented the most beautiful period," Deschamps said. "When I started in 2012 ... I put the French team first."

The outgoing coach also defended his captain against criticism.

"I know he has been given an image that is not true to reality," Deschamps said through an interpreter. "He is an incredible captain, and like many of these players, he has evolved. He is disappointed that he did not manage to compete in the final."

French football legend Zinedine Zidane is widely expected to succeed Deschamps as national team coach.