EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — France forward Kylian Mbappé scored his ninth goal in the knockout stage of the World Cup on Tuesday, breaking a tie with Brazilian greats Leonidas and Ronaldo for the most in the history of the tournament.
After a give-and-go with Ousmane Dembélé, Mbappé scored on a terrific individual effort in the 45th minute. Mbappé crossed over Viktor Gyökeres before firing his shot past Sweden goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström.
The 27-year-old Mbappé ran immediately to coach Didier Deschamps after scoring. This was Deschamps' first game back on the sideline after missing the group stage finale to fly back to Europe for his mother’s funeral.
Mbappé’s fifth goal of this year's tournament tied him with Norway striker Erling Haaland and put him one back of Argentina forward Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. With 17 goals in 18 World Cup games, he moved two behind Messi on the all-time scoring list. Messi has played in 29 World Cup games in his career.
France outshot Sweden 15-3 in the first half, dominating in the searing heat. That effort also included Mbappé banging a shot off the left post and even beginning to celebrate before watching it bounce back.
It was 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), sunny and humid at the 5 p.m. kickoff with poor air quality. During the first half hydration break, Lucas Digne let himself be doused by a sprinkler.
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AP Sports Writer Ron Blum contributed to this report.
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