Mbappé Fires 8th World Cup Goal, Exits France's 2-0 Win With Slight Ankle Injury

Q: Will a minor ankle knock derail Kylian Mbappé's historic chase for the Golden Boot and Messi's all-time World Cup goal record?

No. All the evidence points to Mbappé’s ankle issue being a minor knock rather than an injury likely to interrupt his tournament. France substituted him in the 78th minute of the 2-0 win over Morocco after a heavy challenge from Issa Diop, and he left with ice on his right ankle. But both Mbappé and Didier Deschamps quickly described it as precautionary. Mbappé said he was “fine” and that “everything is okay,” while Deschamps said he was feeling pain but did not suggest any serious damage. Mbappé was also seen celebrating normally after the match, reinforcing that view. That matters because his record chase is very much alive. His goal against Morocco took him to 8 goals and 3 assists at the 2026 World Cup, level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race. It also lifted his career World Cup total to 20 goals, just one behind Messi’s all-time mark of 21. With France through to the semi-finals and guaranteed at least one more match, Mbappé should still have opportunities to equal or surpass that record. The only real caveat is match fitness over a short turnaround. Even a minor ankle problem can affect explosiveness, and Mbappé’s game depends heavily on acceleration and sharp changes of direction. But based on the medical signals from the camp and his own comments, there is no indication at this stage that the knock will derail either his Golden Boot bid or his pursuit of Messi’s World Cup scoring record.

3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jul 10

France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach a third straight World Cup semifinal, with Kylian Mbappé scoring in the 60th minute before leaving in the 77th with an ankle knock.
Issa Diop stepped on Mbappé in the 63rd minute; Mbappé and coach Didier Deschamps both called the injury slight, and he finished the match on the bench with an ice pack.
Mbappé also set up Ousmane Dembélé's goal six minutes after scoring, recovering after Yassine Bounou saved his first-half penalty.
Eight tournament goals leave Mbappé level with Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot lead and one behind Messi's 21 on the all-time World Cup scoring list.
France will face either Spain or Belgium in the semifinals as it tries to reach another final with Mbappé in the squad.