Kylian Mbappe Praises Thierry Henry After Equalling His Goal Record For France

This achievement places him just six goals behind Olivier Giroud, who holds the national record. Speaking to TF1, Mbappe said: “Big up for Titi! But I want to go beyond it now. It’s an honour to match a player like Thierry Henry. Everyone knows what he means to us French, even more so to the strikers. He is someone who paved the way. I have a lot of respect and admiration for him.”

Mbappe reached this milestone in significantly fewer matches than Henry, needing only 91 caps compared to Henry’s 123. His goal followed Michael Olise’s early strike in the 10th minute, helping France secure three points alongside Iceland in Group D of UEFA World Cup qualifying. Reflecting on the match, Mbappe noted: “The coach [Didier Deschamps] wanted us to start this qualifying phase well. We are playing against a complicated team who give everything.”

France’s performance against Ukraine was marked by effective control and chance creation, despite some second-half hesitations. Mbappe commented on their gameplay: “We had an ability to create chances, good movement, we created danger.” He acknowledged that while they could have increased their lead further, the win was a positive beginning.

As Mbappe continues his journey with Les Bleus, he remains focused on winning matches and titles rather than solely breaking records. He stated: “To reach this number so early is out of this world. I want to continue and, above all, win matches and titles.” Although becoming France’s top scorer is significant, he emphasised other priorities: “The record, it’s getting closer, it’s not something I’m thinking about.”

Mbappe’s achievements reflect both his talent and determination as he aims for further success with the national team. Despite being close to surpassing Giroud’s record, he maintains that there are more important goals ahead: “I don’t know if it’s because I think I can beat him or because I think there are more important things.”