Kylian Mbappe equalled Thierry Henry's scoring record for France as he netted against Ukraine on Friday in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match. The Real Madrid star now has 51 international strikes to his name and is Les Bleus' second-highest goal-scorer of all-time, only behind former Arsenal and Chelsea star Olivier Giroud.
- Mbappe equalled Henry's record
- Five goals behind Giroud
- France beat Ukraine 2-0
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Bayern Munich forward Michael Olise opened the scoring for the two-time world champions, while captain Mbappe netted a second in the 82nd minute to seal a comfortable victory over Ukraine in Poland. With his strike, Mbappe has now equalled Henry's 51-goal tally for France and became the nation's joint second-highest goal-scorer. The Madrid star is just behind Giroud, who netted 56 times for his country.
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WHAT MBAPPE SAID
After the game, Mbappe reacted to equalling Henry's record as he told , "It’s an honour to go level with a player like Thierry Henry. Everyone knows what he represents for us, Frenchmen, particularly strikers. He opened up a path. He completed gigantic feats. I have a lot of admiration and respect for him."
When asked about breaking Giroud's record, the France skipper added, "It’s not something I think about. I don’t know if it’s because I think I can beat it or because I think there are more important things, but to be France’s all-time record goalscorer, that’d be something."
- Getty Images
THE BIGGER PICTURE
At just 26, Mbappe is on his way to becoming his country's all-time highest goal-scorer. He is also Les Bleus' second-highest goal-scorer in World Cup history and is only one goal behind the legendary Just Fontaine.
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WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?
The Real Madrid attacker will be back in action for the national team on September 9 as France face Iceland in their second World Cup qualifying game.