By featuring in France’s 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final clash against Spain, Kylian Mbappé has reached his third career World Cup semi-final, breaking into an exclusive list previously dominated entirely by German legends.
Mbappé joins the iconic German trio of Uwe Seeler, Philipp Lahm, and Bastian Schweinsteiger in joint-second place for the most semi-final appearances in World Cup history.
Miroslav Klose: The Ultimate Record Holder
Germany’s legendary striker Miroslav Klose still holds the all-time record with four semi-final appearances, detailed as follows:
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2002: A 1-0 win over co-hosts South Korea (Germany reached the final).
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2006: A heartbreaking 2-0 extra-time defeat to Italy on home soil.
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2010: A narrow 1-0 loss to eventual champions Spain.
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2014: A historic 7-1 thrashing of Brazil, where Klose scored his record-breaking 16th World Cup goal before lifting the trophy.
Mbappé’s Unprecedented Trilogy with Les Bleus
Unlike his German predecessors, Mbappé has achieved the extraordinary feat of playing in three consecutive World Cup semi-finals:
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2018 (Russia): A 1-0 victory over Belgium, leading to his first World Cup title.
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2022 (Qatar): A 2-0 win against Morocco, before France fell to Argentina in a dramatic penalty shootout in the final.
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2026 (North America): Reached the semi-finals after a 2-0 quarter-final win over Morocco—where he scored once and provided an assist—to set up a monumental clash against Spain.
