Kylian Mbappe equaled Thierry Henry’s France goalscoring record with his 51st goal for the national team in a 2-0 win over Ukraine. The 26-year-old expressed his admiration for Henry and stated his ambition to surpass Olivier Giroud’s all-time record of 57 goals. France secured a win in their World Cup qualifying match, with Michael Olise scoring the opener and Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike making his debut. Mbappe emphasized his focus on winning games and titles for France.
Kylian Mbappe etched his name further into French footballing folklore, equaling Thierry Henry's impressive tally of 51 goals for the national team. The Paris Saint-Germain forward, who at 26 is reaching the prime of his career, celebrated the achievement after France's comfortable 2-0 victory over Ukraine in a World Cup qualifying match.
"It's crazy," Mbappe exclaimed, reflecting on drawing level with a player he idolized growing up. "Big up to Titi [Henry], but now I want to surpass him. It's an honour to equal a player like Henry, everyone knows what he means to us French people, even more so to strikers. He's someone who paved the way, and I have a lot of respect and admiration for him."
Image source, Getty ImagesKylian Mbappe scored his first senior goal for France in 2017
Mbappe's goal, a stunning solo effort in the 82nd minute, sealed the victory for Les Bleus against a resilient Ukraine side. The win marked a positive start to France's World Cup qualifying campaign, setting the stage for a potentially dominant run.
While matching Henry is a monumental achievement, Mbappe has his sights set on surpassing Olivier Giroud's all-time France record of 57 goals. The Real Madrid star is now just six goals shy of claiming the top spot, a feat many believe is well within his reach.
Henry was instrumental in the France squad that conquered the 1998 World Cup on home soil at just 20 years of age. Mbappe mirrored this achievement, tasting World Cup glory at 19 during the 2018 tournament in Russia.
Interestingly, both legends trail Giroud in appearances for France. Giroud boasts 137 caps, whereas Henry concluded his international journey with 123. Mbappe, currently with 90 caps, is steadily closing in on both.
Mbappe addressed the prospect of overtaking Giroud, stating: "The record is getting closer, but it's not something I think about. I don't know if it's because I think I can beat it, or because I think 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."
France were aiming to defend their status as world champions at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and duly reached the final.
Mbappe scored a hat-trick to take the final to penalties, only for his side to lose to Lionel Messi's Argentina.
France's victory over Ukraine wasn't solely about Mbappe's brilliance. Bayern Munich's Michael Olise opened the scoring early in the match, setting the tone for a controlled performance by Didier Deschamps' team. The game also saw a debut, with Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike stepping onto the pitch for Les Bleus.
However, it wasn't all positive for France. Paris St-Germain's Ousmane Dembele replaced club team-mate Desire Doue at half-time but went off injured in the 81st minute and was replaced by Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike, who came on for his debut.
As France looks ahead to the next round of qualifiers for the next year's World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada, the focus will undoubtedly remain on Mbappe's quest to become his nation's all-time leading scorer. But what's more important to him is winning games and titles.