France captain, Kylian Mbappe, has described it as “crazy” to have matched Thierry Henry’s international goal tally at just 26 years old.
Mbappe netted a stunning solo strike in the 82nd minute of France’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Ukraine on Friday, taking his tally to 51 goals for Les Bleus, the same number Henry scored in his glittering international career.
“Big up to Titi [Henry], but now I want to surpass him,” Mbappe said after the game. “It’s an honour to equal a player like Henry. Everyone knows what he means to us French people, especially strikers. He’s someone who paved the way, and I have a lot of respect and admiration for him.”
Henry, a World Cup winner in 1998, retired with 123 caps, while Mbappe is still on 90 appearances. Both, however, remain behind Olivier Giroud, who sits at the top of France’s scoring charts with 57 goals from 137 games. Giroud, who called time on his international career last year after Euro 2024, remains Mbappe’s next target.
“The record is getting closer, but it’s not something I think about,” Mbappe admitted. “I don’t know if it’s because I believe I can beat it, or because there are more important things. Reaching this milestone so early is crazy, but I like it. I want to keep going and, above all, win games and titles.”
Friday’s match also saw Bayern Munich forward Michael Olise open the scoring in the 10th minute as Didier Deschamps’ side began their Group D campaign for the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
There was also drama on the injury front as Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele, who had come on at half-time, limped off in the 81st minute. He was replaced by Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike, who made his senior France debut.
Mbappe, already a World Cup winner in 2018 and a hat-trick hero in the 2022 final against Argentina, is now on course to break Giroud’s record in the coming months, a feat that would further cement his legacy as France’s new talisman.
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