Mbappé closes in on France's all-time scoring record

Kylian Mbappé moved closer to becoming France's all‑time leading scorer this week, first equalling Thierry Henry with a 51st international goal in a 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Ukraine and then adding a second strike in the following qualifier to take sole possession of second place with 52 goals, according to match reports and interviews with the forward. The goals came as France opened their UEFA qualifying campaign with successive wins that have put them atop Group D.

Mbappé struck the decisive goal in the 82nd minute against Ukraine in Poland to bring him level with Henry, and he later found the net again in France's next fixture, pushing him within striking distance of Olivier Giroud's national record of 57 goals. Mbappé has reached those figures in far fewer appearances than some of his predecessors, underscoring his scoring rate for Les Bleus.

After the Ukraine match, Mbappé praised Henry, telling TF1, "Big up for Titi! But I want to go beyond it now. It is an honour to match a player like Thierry Henry." He added that while the record is "getting closer" it is not his sole focus and that winning matches and titles remains the priority.