Kylian Mbappé by the numbers: Star striker starts his World Cup by breaking France scoring record

PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappé broke the France scoring record with two goals against Senegal at the World Cup on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Real Madrid striker reached 58 goals, during a 3-1 victory for France, to move one ahead of Olivier Giroud, who has retired from the national team.

He will look to add to his tally when his country faces Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday. It concludes Group I action against Norway in Boston four days later.

Mbappé’s first goal for Les Bleus came nine years ago. Here’s a look at some other statistics during his France career:

14

Number of goals Mbappé has scored in World Cups. Two at this tournament; eight in 2022, where he earned the Golden Boot trophy as top scorer; and four in 2018. He has moved past countryman Just Fontaine’s tally of 13 — all scored at the 1958 World Cup. Former Germany striker Miroslav Klose and Argentina’s Lionel Messi — who scored a brilliant hat trick just hours after Mbappé’s brace — share the record of 16 World Cup goals.

3

Mbappé’s hat tricks for France. His first was a four-goal haul playing alongside Karim Benzema in a World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan in 2021. His next came against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final, and the other during a record 14-0 rout of Gibraltar in a European Championship qualifier in 2023.

18

Mbappé’s age when he made his France debut as a substitute away to Luxembourg in a World Cup qualifier in March 2017. Still 18, he scored his first goal in a qualifier against the Netherlands at Stade de France in August that year.

7

Most amount of consecutive matches with at least one goal for France, from early June last year to late March this year.

10

The amount of times Mbappé has been shown a yellow card for France. He has not been sent off.

2

Number of World Cup finals scored in: against Croatia in 2018, aged 19, and against Argentina in 2022. He is one of two men to grab a hat trick in a World Cup final, with the other being England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966. The other Frenchman to score in two finals is Zinedine Zidane (1998 and 2006) while the only other teenager to score in a men’s final was Brazil great Pelé in 1958.

99

Number of matches for France. He could overtake coach and former captain Didier Deschamps (103 appearances as a midfielder) if France goes deep at this tournament. Barring injury Mbappé should go on to overtake goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’ record of 145 appearances for Les Bleus.

___

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup