Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe equals French legend's record with strike against Ukraine

Kylian Mbappe, the Real Madrid star and French national team captain, has been in top goal-scoring form for both club and country at the start of the 2025/26 season. He scored his 82nd goal in a 2-0 victory against Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier last Friday.

Mbappe has netted three goals in three matches for Real Madrid this season. His goal against Ukraine brought his international tally to 51 goals in 91 appearances for France, matching the legendary Thierry Henry’s record.

At 26, Mbappe is just six goals shy of Olivier Giroud’s all-time French scoring record of 57 goals. With Giroud retired from international football after France’s Euro semifinal loss to Spain last year, Mbappe is poised to break the record.

Since his debut in 2017, Mbappe has been a key figure for France, notably scoring a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina, despite the loss.

Mbappe, now wearing the captain’s armband, aims to lead France to reclaim the World Cup title they won in 2018 and reached the final in 2022.

What did Kylian Mbappe say about matching Henry's goal tally?

Reflecting on matching Henry’s record, Mbappe told TF1, “Big up to Titi (Henry)! But now I want to surpass him! It’s an honor to equal a player like Henry. Everyone knows what he means to us French people, especially strikers. He paved the way, and I have a lot of respect and admiration for him.”

He added, “Reaching this milestone so early is crazy, but I like it. I want to keep going and, above all, win games and titles. 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 there are more important things. But being the top scorer in the history of the French national team is no small feat.”

Mbappe remains focused on winning titles while continuing to chase historic milestones.