France's attacking leader Kylian Mbappe is once again proving his worth by continuing his record-breaking run in this tournament. After scoring multiple goals in the first match against Senegal, he surpassed Pele by achieving a World Cup total of 14 goals, and is now aiming for the record for most goals held by Lionel Messi and Miroslav Klose. He will achieve the milestone of playing his 100th game for the French national team through the upcoming game against Iraq, and is showing mature leadership by emphasizing the team's desire for the trophy more than his individual records. Mbappe's presence is so terrifying to the opponents that the opposing team's coach, Iraq, Graham Arnold, jokingly complained, "I want to deploy three goalkeepers."

Meanwhile, Korea's captain Son Heung-min showed off his health by using his skills to overcome the skepticism of some foreign media about his age and deterioration. In the highest speed record for the first match of the group stage analyzed by FIFA, Son Heung-min recorded 35.2 km per hour, slightly ahead of world-renowned speed star Mbappe (35.1 km). This proves that he still maintains world-class skills not only in terms of scoring goals, but also in his explosive sprint ability to destroy the space behind the opponent. Son Heung-min, who has established himself as the team's tactical core ahead of the decisive match against South Africa, is looking for the best opportunity to break the Korean World Cup record for most goals with the support of teammates such as Lee Kang-in and Hwang In-beom.

This World Cup is also a battleground for records where new and old generations intersect. Argentina's Lionel Messi is on the verge of becoming the sole leader with his World Cup total of 16 goals through a hat trick against Algeria, while Norway's Erling Haaland is also shaking up the competition for the Golden Boot by causing a storm of goals right from his debut. Mbappe is also mathematically open to the possibility of chasing Messi's record, so the race for top scorer is expected to become even more intense depending on the results of the second match of the group stage. In this way, the process of strikers representing each country rewriting history in each game provides fans with the greatest joy that soccer can provide.

Just as interesting as the players' individual skills are the tactical discourse surrounding them and the stories about their future. Mbappe expressed his belief that he should write his own team's history rather than blindly following a specific tactic, and also showed an open attitude toward the possibility of advancing to the American stage in the later years of his career. He garnered attention by even mentioning Beckham's love call, revealing himself as a world-class player who is not satisfied with his current achievements and constantly dreams of new challenges. His flexibility and dedication to the team's victory regardless of position is one of the biggest reasons why the French national team is considered a strong candidate to win this tournament.