Kylian Mbappe recently reached a milestone by scoring his 399th and 400th career goals during France’s 4-0 victory over Ukraine. This win secured their place in the 2026 World Cup.
Despite this achievement, Mbappe doesn’t find it particularly impressive and aspires to follow Cristiano Ronaldo’s pursuit of 1,000 goals. He aims to reach this ambitious target, inspired by Ronaldo’s current tally of 953 goals.
Mbappe has scored a total of 345 goals at the club level. His journey began with Monaco, where he netted 27 times. He then scored 256 goals for Paris Saint-Germain and has added another 62 while playing for Real Madrid. His scoring record includes 191 goals in Ligue 1, 60 in the Champions League, 44 in LaLiga, and 37 in the Coupe de France. Additionally, he has found the net in seven out of eight other club competitions.
France is set to participate in their eighth consecutive World Cup since missing out on the tournaments in 1990 and 1994. Mbappe emphasised that qualifying for the World Cup should not be taken lightly. “Pride,” he said when asked about his feelings on qualification. “We must never trivialise this; today it is becoming normal, but it has not always been so in the history of the France team.”
In international play, Mbappe has scored five goals and provided three assists during the current qualification cycle. He hopes to maintain this form into next year’s tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Reflecting on last year’s challenges with the national team, he stated his commitment to proving its importance to him.
With 55 international goals, Mbappe is just two short of Olivier Giroud’s record of 57 for Les Bleus. His next opportunity to break this record comes against Azerbaijan in Baku on Sunday. Speaking about his ambitions, Mbappe said: “Now, 400… it doesn’t impress people. If you want to be in this circle that shocks people, you have to score another 400! Cristiano Ronaldo’s 1,000 goals? That is unreal.”
Mbappe made history by becoming only the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final during France’s dramatic loss to Argentina in 2022. The match ended with a thrilling penalty shootout after a gripping 3-3 draw. Despite the defeat, Mbappe remains focused on future successes with Les Bleus.
Aiming for Glory
The upcoming World Cup presents an opportunity for France to add a third star to their jersey-a dream shared by Mbappe and his teammates. “Playing at a World Cup,” he noted, “only those who have done it know how special it is.” He expressed excitement about representing France on such a grand stage and highlighted their determination to win.
As they prepare for the tournament draw and focus on initial group games, Mbappe stressed using lessons from past experiences like the 2022 final as motivation. The goal remains clear: triumphing at the World Cup alongside all competing teams.