The chemistry between Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé is haunting opponents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With a combined 13 goals in the six matches played so far (eight from Mbappé and five from Dembélé), the French duo have already secured their place in football’s pantheon by matching the historic feat of Ronaldo and Rivaldo, achieved during Brazil’s 2002 title-winning campaign.
Advertisement
To put into perspective just how remarkable what the forwards are doing in the United States is, 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, the two forwards are now aiming for the top spot in the all-time ranking of highest-scoring duos in a single World Cup edition.
They will have at least two more matches ahead of them (the semifinal and the final or third-place playoff) to chase the mark.
All-time top 3
According to FIFA data, only two duos in the past have posted better numbers than the current French pair:
Advertisement
1958 – The All-Time Record
Fellow Frenchmen Just Fontaine (13) and Raymond Kopa (3) scored an incredible 16 goals together. The mark, set nearly seven decades ago, came in a six-match campaign in which France were ultimately eliminated by Brazil in the semifinals.
1954 – The Hungarian Machine
The legendary Sándor Kocsis (11) and Ferenc Puskás (4) combined for 15 goals. Hungary played five matches in that World Cup, finishing as runners-up against Germany.
2002 / 2026 – Current Tie
Mbappé (8) and Dembélé (5) are tied with Ronaldo (8) and Rivaldo (5), with both pairs combining for 13 goals.
Individual records
Beyond the achievement as a duo, Mbappé continues to shatter individual records: the French star has reached the astonishing average of one goal per game in the history of the tournament, now totaling 20 goals in 20 World Cup matches.
Advertisement
The duo’s next challenge will be to break down Spain’s defense in the semifinal taking place on Tuesday (14).
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
Read the full article here
