Mbappe vs Spain: The one hidden World Cup knockout round the France captain has never conquered

Although he is only 27 years old, Kylian Mbappé is already one of the greatest players in World Cup history. After winning the 2018 edition, he has become a regular presence for France. In addition, he has remained one of the top scorers in all three World Cups he has played. Despite this, the French striker faces a major challenge against Spain, as he is chasing a feat he has yet to achieve.

Kylian Mbappé looks to score in a World Cup semifinal for the first time against Spain. While he is the tournament’s second all-time leading scorer, he failed to find the net against Morocco at Qatar 2022 and against Belgium at Russia 2018. Therefore, the 27-year-old striker will be aiming to score for the first time at this stage of the tournament and lead France to a third consecutive World Cup final.

Mbappé has yet to score in a World Cup semifinal, but he has found the net in both finals he has played. In the Russia 2018 final, he scored against Croatia in the 4-2 victory. In addition, he scored a hat trick against Argentina in the Qatar 2022 final, proving to be a truly decisive player. Because of his goalscoring prowess, he will be looking to make his mark for the first time in every stage of the tournament.

Kylian Mbappé’s record vs Spain ahead of World Cup clash

Throughout his professional career with France, Kylian Mbappé has played 104 matches, scoring 64 goals. Even though he is the national team’s all-time leading scorer, he has faced Spain only four times, recording just one victory and producing a relatively modest goalscoring record against them.

Mbappé has scored only two goals for France against Spain. The first goal came in the 2021 UEFA Nations League final, giving his national team the title. His most recent goal came from the penalty spot in the semifinals of the same tournament, in the 2025 edition. With his last victory coming in 2021, he is looking to end his drought in World Cup semifinals, but also to beat Luis de la Fuente’s team again.

Mbappé has another motivation vs Spain: World Cup scoring record

Kylian Mbappé is having his best performance at the 2026 World Cup, recording a goal contribution in every match he has played. With that, he arrives fully motivated for the match against Spain. Not only is he looking to end his drought in the tournament’s semifinals, but he is also chasing the all-time World Cup scoring record.

The 27-year-old striker has scored 20 goals in 20 World Cup matches with France, surpassing Miroslav Klose in the all-time World Cup scoring rankings and moving into second place on the list. As a result, he is competing directly with Lionel Messi, who has 21 goals and leads the standings. With both teams reaching the tournament’s semifinals, Mbappé appears highly motivated to shine against Spain.