Kylian Mbappe Shatters Two France Goalscoring Records as Les Bleus Dominate World Cup Opener

Kylian Mbappé etched his name into French football history on Tuesday, becoming the nation's all-time top scorer during their opening World Cup victory over Senegal, first equaling and then surpassing Olivier Giroud's record across nearly 100 minutes of action at MetLife Stadium.

Mbappé arrived at the World Cup with 56 goals for France since making his Les Bleus debut in 2017. He drew level with Giroud's benchmark of 57 international goals — the Frenchman's last coming in 2024 — by giving his side the lead in the 66th minute with a crisp first-time finish set up by a clever Michael Olise assist.

His second goal of the evening, which made it 3–1 for France in stoppage time as Senegal pushed for a late comeback, was a powerful long-range strike that broke the record outright.

That was his 58th goal in a France jersey, unmatched at just 27 years old, with plenty of time remaining to push the tally to an almost untouchable figure.

Giroud was present as a pundit on BBC Sports's live coverage in the U.K., allowing him to offer an immediate response to seeing his record surpassed. The former Arsenal, Chelsea and LAFC forward had previously taken the record from Thierry Henry and was, naturally, full of praise for his former international colleague.

"Congrats, Kylian!" Giroud said.

Mbappé Claims French World Cup Record

France's all-time scoring record wasn't the only milestone to fall for Mbappé, as the Real Madrid star also became his country's leading scorer in World Cup competition.

That particular record had stood for far longer, established back in 1958 by Just Fontaine, who netted 13 times during his sole World Cup appearance. Nearly 68 years later, it still stands as the record for most goals by a single player in one tournament. Mbappé now boasts 14 World Cup goals across just 15 appearances.

No other French players come anywhere near Mbappé and Fontaine in this category. Thierry Henry sits third on the list with six World Cup goals for Les Bleus, with Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini and Giroud all tied behind him on five apiece.

Mbappé netted four goals as France claimed the World Cup title in 2018 at just 19 years old, before adding eight more in 2022 — including a stunning hat-trick in the final against Argentina.

All-Time World Cup Record in Mbappé's Sight

Sitting on 14 World Cup goals, Mbappé is just two shy of Miroslav Klose's all-time record, a mark that could realistically be surpassed before this tournament concludes.

France still has matches against Iraq and Norway remaining in the group stage, with a potential seven more games to play in total. Given that Mbappé has scored at nearly a goal-per-game rate throughout his World Cup career, and with France among the frontrunners to lift the trophy once more, Klose's record may not simply be broken — it could be shattered entirely.

Top All-Time World Cup Goalscorers