Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and the quest for World Cup immortality

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lionel Messi (age 39) and Kylian Mbappe (age 27) have each scored eight goals and are one semi-final win away from meeting in a second consecutive World Cup final, having previously faced each other in the 2022 final. Mbappe is closing in on the all-time World Cup scoring record, with only Messi ahead of him, while both players have been rewriting longstanding records throughout the tournament. A potential final rematch would pit the two stars against each other for the Golden Boot, the all-time scoring record, and the World Cup title.