Mbappé says Messi will score in World Cup final against Spain

French forward Kylian Mbappé said he expects Lionel Messi to score in the World Cup final against Spain and overtake him in the tournament's all-time scoring list. Speaking to the Spanish newspaper AS, Mbappé said of Messi, "He will score tomorrow, he always does." Mbappé moved to the top of the World Cup scoring chart on his own after scoring twice in France's 6-4 third-place playoff loss to England. He said he would have preferred to be on the pitch in the final the following day rather than hold the historical scoring record, and that he values team success over individual awards. France conceded four goals in the first half of the playoff match after losing to Argentina in the final and being eliminated by Spain in the semifinal. Mbappé said the team did not show enough respect for the jersey in the opening period and could not explain the performance, but added that they played at a higher level after halftime. He expressed regret that the comeback was not enough to deliver a result for head coach Didier Deschamps.