Mbappé and Dembélé chase World Cup scoring history

The chemistry between Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé is haunting opponents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The French duo has combined for 13 goals in six matches so far—eight from Mbappé and five from Dembélé. By doing so, they have secured their place in football history, matching the feat achieved by Ronaldo and Rivaldo during Brazil’s 2002 title-winning campaign.

To put their performance in the United States into perspective, Dembélé and Mbappé have scored more goals together than 45 of the 48 teams taking part in this World Cup.

With France advancing to the semifinals, both forwards now aim for the top spot in the all-time ranking of highest-scoring duos in a single World Cup edition. They have at least two matches remaining, either the final or the third-place playoff, to chase that record.

All-time top 3

According to FIFA data, only two duos have posted better numbers than the current French pair:

1958 – The All-Time Record

Fellow Frenchmen Just Fontaine (13) and Raymond Kopa (3) scored 16 goals combined. This record, set nearly seven decades ago, came during a six-match campaign in which France was eliminated by Brazil in the semifinals.

1954 – The Hungarian Machine

Legendary players Sándor Kocsis (11) and Ferenc Puskás (4) combined for 15 goals. Hungary played five matches in that tournament, finishing as runners-up to Germany.

2002 / 2026 – Current Tie

Mbappé (8) and Dembélé (5) are tied with Ronaldo (8) and Rivaldo (5), with both pairs totaling 13 goals.

Individual records

Beyond their combined success, Mbappé continues to break individual records. The French star has reached an average of one goal per game in the tournament’s history, totaling 20 goals in 20 World Cup matches.

The duo’s next challenge involves breaking down Spain’s defense in the semifinal match on Tuesday (14).