Agencies | Philadelphia:
France captain Kylian Mbappé etched his name into FIFA World Cup history on Monday (Tuesday IST), becoming the first French player and only the fourth footballer ever to score multiple goals in three consecutive World Cup matches.
The 27-year-old achieved the milestone during France’s Group I clash against Iraq at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, scoring twice within the opening 54 minutes. Mbappé opened the scoring in the 14th minute before doubling France’s lead in the 54th minute.
The remarkable run began in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina, where Mbappé scored a stunning hat-trick despite France’s defeat on penalties. He carried that form into the 2026 tournament, netting twice against Senegal in France’s opening group-stage fixture before adding another brace against Iraq.
With the achievement, Mbappé joins an exclusive list featuring only three other players — Argentina’s Guillermo Stábile, Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis and Lionel Messi — who have scored multiple goals in three consecutive FIFA World Cup matches.
Stábile was the first to accomplish the feat during the inaugural FIFA World Cup in Uruguay in 1930. The Argentine striker scored a hat-trick against Mexico before registering braces against Chile and the United States.
Kocsis matched the record at the 1954 World Cup, scoring a hat-trick against South Korea and four goals against West Germany in the group stage. He then added braces against Brazil in the quarter-finals and Uruguay in the semi-finals, becoming the only player in history to score multiple goals in four consecutive World Cup matches. The Hungarian finished the tournament as top scorer with 11 goals.
Messi joined the elite club after scoring twice in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup final victory over France. The Argentine superstar has continued his prolific form at the 2026 tournament, scoring a hat-trick against Algeria before adding a brace against Austria, taking his tally to five goals in two matches.
Mbappé’s latest double not only strengthened France’s position in Group I but also underlined his status as one of the most prolific performers in FIFA World Cup history. With the tournament still in its early stages, the French captain now has an opportunity to chase Kocsis’ long-standing record of scoring multiple goals in four consecutive World Cup matches.
