For Kylian Mbappé, records are becoming a habit. But on Tuesday night, the France captain reached a milestone that places him alone in his country’s football history.
The 27-year-old scored twice in France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal at MetLife Stadium, becoming Les Bleus’ all-time leading scorer with 58 international goals. In doing so, he surpassed former record-holder Olivier Giroud and gave France the perfect start to their World Cup title defence.
Mbappé’s historic evening began in the 66th minute when he calmly finished from a clever Michael Olise pass after a controversial penalty appeal was waved away. The goal took him level with Giroud on 57 goals and set the stage for another landmark moment.
That moment arrived eight minutes from time. After Bradley Barcola extended France’s lead following an excellent through ball from Adrien Rabiot, Senegal pulled one back through Ibrahim Mbaye in the 90th minute. However, Mbappé quickly ended any hopes of a comeback with a stunning long-range strike from 30 yards, sealing a 3-1 victory and moving to 58 goals for France.
The brace also strengthened Mbappé’s pursuit of another major record. He now has 14 World Cup goals, just two behind the all-time tournament record of 16 set by Germany’s Miroslav Klose — a mark that Lionel Messi also equalled earlier on the same day.
France may have won comfortably, but Senegal showed moments of threat. Nicolas Jackson struck the post during a swift counterattack, while Sadio Mané created a golden opportunity for Ismaila Sarr before halftime, only for the winger to fire over the bar.
After the break, Didier Deschamps’ side increased the tempo. Olise was influential throughout, creating chances and constantly testing Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Once France found the breakthrough, their quality and depth proved decisive.
The victory extends Les Bleus’ impressive run to 10 wins in their last 12 international matches and reinforces their status as one of the favourites for the World Cup title. With emerging talents such as Olise, Barcola and Désiré Doué complementing an experienced core, France appear well-equipped for another deep tournament run.
At just 27, Mbappé already stands alone as France’s greatest-ever scorer. With 58 international goals and 14 World Cup goals to his name, he continues to chase football immortality. Giroud’s record has fallen. Now, Miroslav Klose’s World Cup mark is firmly in his sights.
