2026 World Cup: Lionel Messi vs. Kylian Mbappe at top of scoring chart?

Ahead of France's 2026 World Cup clash with Iraq, Sports Mole's site Coordinator Ben Knapton and senior reporter Oliver Thomas discuss the Blues, and a certain Kylian Mbappe.

Ben Knapton, site coordinator: "The absolute GOAT now"

The predicted score was 3-1 in the Sports Mole preview, so viewers should check out the previews on sportsmole.co.uk.

Before the first ball was kicked at the tournament, the France attack was talked up enormously, and that game showed exactly why.

Mbappe leveled and then overtook Giroud. It's important to note that Mbappe is not the all-time top French scorer because Eugenie Le Sommer scored 94 goals for the women's team, so he's got a long way to go to be the outright greatest for his country.

But in terms of male scorers, he is the absolute GOAT now. Dembele starting as the number 10 is interesting because, according to his Transfermarkt stats, he's only really played as a number 10 during his final Borussia Dortmund campaign, which was the campaign that got him that nine-figure move to Barcelona.

For France too, he's very rarely played as a second striker or number 10. Michael Olise is a very mercurial player.

If you give him the freedom, he will make so many things happen, and that has now been seen. He got 28 assists for club and country this season, more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues.

Ryan Cherki doesn't look like he'll be starting while the likes of Dembele, Doue, and Olise are fit. But Barcola came off the bench with a wonderful finish to wrap it up.

I think he's the youngest French player to score on his World Cup debut since Thierry Henry. France still have some defensive concerns.

But when you have an attack like that, with Mbappe clicking into gear and scoring a magnificent goal from range, and Olise making things happen, it shows why France are the favourites.

Deschamps has got to two finals and he's the kind of manager who picks out those tactical tweaks and makes them at halftime whenever he needs to.

France are still the outright favourites, and that Senegal victory showed exactly why. Do we expect Deschamps to make changes for this one? It's a match they're expected to win even if not at full strength, especially with the depth they've got.

Winning the group can give you a much easier passage through to the latter stages.

Oliver Thomas, senior reporter: "May need to win this game against Iraq"

It's an interesting dilemma that Deschamps faces with his team selection. France will probably go fairly strong in this game, maybe with a couple of tweaks.

No nation should be taking anyone for granted now. We've already seen Spain, Portugal, and Belgium all drop points.

If France really wish to finish top of the group, they may need to win this game against Iraq, who were beaten four-one by Norway but did test them and put up a decent fight.

Olise played the full 90 minutes against Senegal, whereas both Dembele and Doue were taken off early. If Deschamps looks to rotate his team and keep some players fresh, maybe this is the game where Olise is taken off early or begins on the bench.

Mbappe will be looking to add to the two goals from the first match and edge closer to Messi at the top of the World Cup scoring charts. Mbappe is on 14 World Cup goals, just two behind.

This fixture against Iraq is one that Mbappe and his teammates will be targeting for goals. That's not to say Iraq are weak at the back, but France, with the attack they have, are firm favourites to win here.

We all expect them to win comfortably by at least a couple of goals.They'll be firm favourites to win this one. Just very quickly on Mbappe before we move to Iraq.

There's so much pressure on him at Real Madrid, and there's even a petition to almost get rid of him. Then he comes in as the absolute star of the show in a team of stars.

How big a tournament is this for him, and how big was it for him to start off with two goals? I think he's going to end up as the all-time World Cup goalscorer because he's got another tournament in him, whereas Messi probably doesn't.