Kylian Mbappé has already turned opening match into history lesson,and this happened against Senegal on June 22,2026.
Mbappé scored two goals in that match,taking his total World Cup tally to 14 . That means he has now gone past legendary Pelé on World Cup goal-scoring list,which is not small thing ah.
And this was not just World Cup record talk only. With those goals,he also surpassed Olivier Giroud and became all-time leading scorer for French national team . For France fans,this must feel like watching history live.
At 27-year-old,Mbappé is also preparing for his 100th international appearance . That combination is crazy honestly,because he already has 2018 World Cup win,2022 Golden Boot,and now this new milestone in FIFA World Cup 2026 .
Few things standing out clearly here:
- Mbappé's 14 World Cup goals tie him with Gerd Müller for the fourth-most in history.
- Miroslav Klose still holds overall World Cup goal record with 16 goals.
- France also have players like Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué,which makes their attack look even more dangerous.
And tbh,the big question now is not whether Mbappé is great. That part is already settled. Question is how far he can push this thing,because 14 goals means he is just two away from Miroslav Klose’s 16 goals .
Mbappé also sounded fully locked in before next match against Iraq. At recent press conference,he said,"It's always a pleasure to be able to play on the national team . There's nothing bigger than the national team." Simple line,but coming from him,it carries weight.
But pressure on Iraq is going to be massive now. They are facing Mbappé and French squad being seen as co-favorites alongside Spain . Still,Iraq's coach Graham Arnold has said focus has to stay on their own performance instead of getting carried away by France’s reputation.
And that is easier said than done when Mbappé is running at your defence in World Cup mood . With each game,he is getting closer to records people once thought were almost untouchable…
So now it’s this uncomfortable question for every other team: are they facing France,or are they facing Mbappé’s chase to become greatest World Cup player in history…
