Star striker Kylian Mbappé has ascended to become the record goalscorer for the French national team.
In France’s opening World Cup group stage match against Senegal on Tuesday, the Real Madrid forward initially scored his 57th goal for his country, equaling Olivier Giroud’s tally. In stoppage time, he sealed the 3-1 victory with a spectacular long-range shot, marking his 58th goal for Les Bleus.
While Giroud reached his benchmark in 137 international appearances, Mbappé achieved his record goal in just his 99th cap. Thierry Henry follows in the ranking of France’s top scorers with 51 goals in 123 games.
«Congratulations, Kylian,» said Giroud as a TV pundit on BBC One. «I’m happy for him. It’s logical, it was expected. He’s going to break every single record – the number of caps and goals. I think he can easily surpass the 100-goal mark and perhaps even Miroslav Klose’s World Cup record. He has shown great performances in World Cups and important matches.»
Mbappé Just Two Goals Away from Klose
The strikes against Senegal also marked Mbappé’s 13th and 14th goals in his third World Cup appearance, breaking Just Fontaine’s French World Cup scoring record. The former forward scored all his goals in six matches during the 1958 tournament.
Mbappé, a World Cup winner in 2018, could set another record in the upcoming tournament in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The 27-year-old is now only two goals away from the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer, Miroslav Klose, who has 16 goals from four tournaments.