Mbappe passes Ronaldo and closes to within one goal of Messi's World Cup record

Dubai: Kylian Mbappe added another remarkable night to his World Cup story. His brace in France's 3-0 win over Sweden in the round of 32 saw him move past a string of long-standing records, and left him just one goal shy of the sport's all-time leader.

Into the top two, all time

Mbappe's first goal against Sweden took him to 18 career World Cup goals, moving him past Miroslav Klose and into outright second place on the all-time men's scorers list. Only Lionel Messi, on 19, now stands above him. At 27 years old, with France still alive in the tournament, Mbappe has every chance of reaching the top spot before his career is done.

The two goals also took his overall World Cup contributions, goals and assists combined, to 22. That moves him past Pele into second on that all-time list too. Messi leads there as well, on 27.

The record he took from Ronaldo

The most eye-catching milestone belonged to Brazil's Ronaldo Nazario. Mbappe's first goal of the night was his tenth in World Cup knockout matches alone, a tally that overtakes Ronaldo for the most knockout-stage goals in the competition's history.

It fits a pattern. This was Mbappe's fourth multi-goal game in a World Cup knockout match, twice as many as any other player has ever managed, and his seventh multi-goal game in the tournament overall, also a record.

Level with Messi, ahead in the race for gold

Mbappe's tally of six goals this tournament now matches Messi's. But with two assists to his name as well, Mbappe holds the edge in the race for the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament's top scorer, with assists used as the first tiebreaker.

He has had plenty of help. Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele have combined for six goals between them this World Cup, four created by Dembele for Mbappe and two the other way, the most productive partnership the tournament has seen in 60 years.

A France side built for knockout football

The individual numbers sit inside a wider French dominance. France have now scored at least three goals in five consecutive World Cup matches, the longest such run in the competition's history, and they attempted 25 shots against Sweden, their highest total in a World Cup knockout match since 1998.

It is also only the second time France have won their first four games at a World Cup. The only other occasion was in 1998, the year they won it on home soil. Manager Didier Deschamps, meanwhile, now has nine World Cup knockout victories as France boss, more than any coach in the tournament's history.

France's win sets up a round of 16 meeting with Paraguay. For Mbappe, the target is obvious. One more goal draws him level with Messi's all-time record. Two more, and he moves into a class of his own.