Lionel Messi is pursuing a historic achievement in the 2026 World Cup final against Spain, standing just 2 goals away from equalling the record for the most goals scored in World Cup final matches — and a hat-trick would give him sole ownership of that record for the first time in the tournament's history.
Kylian Mbappé sits atop the list of World Cup final scorers with 4 goals, having netted once in the 2018 Russia final against Croatia before adding a hat-trick in the 2022 Qatar final against Argentina.
Mbappé became the second-youngest player to score in a World Cup final, doing so at 19 years and 207 days, behind Brazilian legend Pelé, who achieved the feat at 17 years and 249 days.
Mbappé's hat-trick in the 2022 final drew level with the historic mark set by England's Geoff Hurst, who scored the first hat-trick in a World Cup final during England's 4-2 victory over West Germany in 1966, before the French star pulled clear to lead all final scorers with 4 goals.
Mbappé surpassed a host of all-time greats in the process, including Brazilians Ronaldo, Pelé and Vavá, Argentine Mario Kempes, and Frenchman Zinedine Zidane — all of whom scored fewer goals in final matches. Zidane remains the only other Frenchman to have found the net in two separate World Cup finals.
Messi enters the 2026 final with 2 goals in final matches, both scored against France in the 2022 Qatar World Cup final, leaving him with the opportunity to equal Mbappé's record with a brace against Spain, or to claim the record outright should he score a hat-trick.
Football fans are watching to see whether the Argentina captain can seize the MetLife Stadium final to add yet another achievement to his career, as he stands on the verge of breaking one of the most prominent individual records in World Cup final history.