By Entertainment & Sports Today July 19, 2026
The worlds of pop music and football collided in spectacular fashion on Saturday night as global superstar Miley Cyrus publicly congratulated Kylian Mbappé for breaking Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup goal-scoring record.
Mbappé officially leapfrogged the Argentine legend on the all-time tournament chart, netting his 21st and 22nd career World Cup goals during France’s dramatic third-place playoff against England.
France endured a nightmare first half, trailing 4-0 after the opening 45 minutes. However, the French captain sparked a thrilling comeback, scoring a clinical first-time finish in the 48th minute. Following a goal by Bradley Barcola, Mbappé found the back of the net again in the 66th minute to cement his place in football history.
Almost immediately after the historic moment, Miley Cyrus took to social media to share her excitement, praising the 27-year-old forward’s historic achievement. Her unexpected tribute quickly went viral, drawing millions of views from both music fans and football enthusiasts worldwide, adding a glittering Hollywood spark to an already legendary sporting night.
The race for the ultimate goal-scoring crown has been nothing short of cinematic. Earlier in the tournament, Messi had moved beyond Germany’s Miroslav Klose by netting twice against Austria, following a spectacular hat trick in Argentina’s opening match. The icon continued to add to his tally against Jordan, Cape Verde, and Egypt. However, Mbappé’s latest second-half masterclass has now pushed the Real Madrid forward past Messi’s milestone.
Furthermore, Mbappé’s brilliant brace gives him the upper hand over Messi in the current tournament’s Golden Boot race, with the Frenchman sitting on 10 goals in North America compared to Messi’s eight.
Mbappé’s World Cup legacy has been fast-tracked since he burst onto the scene in 2018 as a teenager, winning the trophy and the Young Player of the Tournament award. Four years later in Qatar, he scored a historic hat trick in the final, though he ultimately couldn’t stop Messi from inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory.
Now at 39 years old and competing in his historic sixth World Cup, Messi is not done yet. With the global spotlight brighter than ever—and the entertainment world watching—the legendary playmaker will have the immediate opportunity to reclaim his record from Mbappé when he leads Argentina out in Sunday’s highly anticipated World Cup Final against Spain.
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