Mbappé Celebrates 400 Goals as France Prepares for World Cup Glory

World Cup champion Kylian Mbappé reached an impressive milestone by scoring his 400th career goal during a 4-0 victory over Ukraine, where he netted two goals, including one from the penalty spot. This performance secures France a place in the upcoming global tournament next summer.

Achieving 400 goals in just 537 appearances, Mbappé is the all-time leading scorer for Paris Saint-Germain, having found the net 235 times for the Ligue 1 giants. He is also rapidly approaching the record set by Olivier Giroud, France’s top scorer, with only two goals separating them.

At just 26 years old, Mbappé has many seasons ahead with both club and country. He expressed his aspirations to emulate the extraordinary accomplishments of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. “Reaching 400 goals doesn’t impress people; to truly astonish, one must aim for another 400. Cristiano Ronaldo’s 1,000 goals? That’s extraordinary. But we must strive for the extraordinary; we have only one career to pursue our dreams,” he stated.

Currently at the peak of his career, Mbappé acknowledges the importance of maintaining high standards as he seeks further major titles with both Real Madrid and the French national team. Reflecting on his past challenges with the national squad, he emphasized the significance of representing France on the world stage: “I needed to be my best self to ensure we qualified for the World Cup. Last year was tough for me internationally, and this season, I had to demonstrate my commitment to the national team. Only those who have played in a World Cup understand its unique privilege and honor.”

Having achieved the pinnacle of success by winning the World Cup with France in 2018, Mbappé faced disappointment in the final against Lionel Messi and Argentina at the 2022 tournament, despite scoring a hat-trick. He expressed pride in France’s performance against Ukraine, stating, “We should never take our achievements for granted. We had to approach the match sensibly, with the victory as our top priority. We focused on our game, picked up the pace in the second half, created opportunities, and I believe everyone enjoyed the evening.”

Looking ahead to the upcoming World Cup, Mbappé is determined to add a second star to the French national team’s jersey. “We are going to win, just like the other 48 teams participating. It’s a dream to add a third star to our jersey. We must channel the lessons learned from the 2022 final to approach the next World Cup with confidence. We will await the draw and concentrate on our first group matches.”

As the tournament approaches in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, France is considered one of the favorites to succeed. They will find out their initial opponents during the group stage draw scheduled for December 5.