Project Mbappe - the road to becoming France's record scorer

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Project Mbappe - the road to becoming France's record scorerPublished16 June 2026Image source, Getty ImagesBySean Kearns, Sport and Andy Cryer, Sport senior journalistJust Fontaine, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Thierry Henry, Olivier Giroud. France have had their fair share of brilliant attacking players over the years. But none better - in goalscoring terms at least - than Kylian Mbappe after his goals in his country's World Cup opener against Senegal.

The Real Madrid forward has become France's all-time record scorer, overtaking Giroud in the record books with his 58th goal for Les Bleus, aged just 27. "Congratulations Kylian," Giroud said on One, working as a pundit for France's game against Senegal. "It makes sense, it was expected.

The Details

He will beat every single record - the number of caps and goals. I think he can easily reach 100 goals and maybe Miroslav Klose's World Cup record. He's delivered great performances in World Cups and big games.

"Mbappe's 58 strikes came in just 99 games for France. Tuesday's goals also put him on 14 in World Cups - just two behind Germany's Klose, who holds the record with 16. "A lot of team-mates ask me about him," Giroud added.

"For me it's just ambition and confidence. "He knows where he wants to go, he is a leader and you could see from a young age he was very at ease. He was mature for his age.

What Experts Say

He is a good team-mate, he is an incredible talent and I think he is a proper leader on and off the pitch. " Figure caption, Mbappe opens the scoring against SenegalFrench football expert Julien Laurens believes Mbappe will become the greatest player in the country's history. "There is still a lot more to come from him but if we are to stop it right now, Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini certainly remain the top two French players of all time," said Laurens.

"After that it is Mbappe ahead of Thierry Henry, Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and others. Even the ones from the old generation like Raymond Kopa. "It is not just for his goals, but his leadership now as captain on the field, winning the World Cup in 2018, scoring a hat-trick in the final in 2022.

"I predict him to be the number one by the end of his career. He has at least one more World Cup after this and the Euros to play in so he will probably become the greatest player we have ever had. " Figure caption, Kylian Mbappe: From humble beginnings in Bondy to idolising Cristiano RonaldoThe numbers and the accolades Having made his international debut in March 2017, it was not until Mbappe's fourth appearance for France that he scored his first goal in a 4-0 World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.