France record scorer Mbappé set for 100th appearance | OneFootball

This evening's game between France and Iraq will be a special one for Kylian Mbappé. The French forward is set to reach 100 games for his national team. At just 27, he is already a France legend and  the country’s all-time top scorer with many years still ahead to keep adding to his record.

Mbappé's France story began very early. Back in 2017 in a match against Luxembourg, the young prodigy was only 18 and came on in place of Dimitri Payet.

A year later, Mbappé was already playing at his first World Cup — as a starter. It was a defining moment in his career, as he helped France win the title, scoring in the final.

Now, still at the peak of his career at 27, Mbappé is playing in his third World Cup and piling up records as he aims for a third final. In 2022, despite his historic hat-trick in the showpiece match, the forward finished as runner-up after France were beaten by Lionel Messi's Argentina.

Just before the tournament, Mbappé moved into the top 10 France players by appearances. Against Iraq, he will join the select group of players to have represented the team in 100 matches — Hugo Lloris leads the way with 145 appearances. It is a list made up only of icons, with names such as Lilian Thuram, Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Vieira, and head coach Didier Deschamps (see the full list here).

Among so many great names, Mbappé still manages to stand out. He is already a France legend, even with plenty of time left to extend his records. It was at this World Cup, for example, that he moved to the top of France’s all-time scoring chart by overtaking Olivier Giroud, his strike partner in the 2018 title win. He now has 58 goals in a France shirt.

Mbappé averages 0.59 goals per game for France, as well as providing 34 assists in total. His World Cup numbers are even more impressive: 14 goals and two assists in 15 matches – 13 of them as a starter. That is more than one goal contribution per game on average, with standout performances in both finals he has played.

"There is nothing that represents a greater privilege than playing for the national team. The 100th match at the World Cup will be special," the striker admitted.

With France once again among the favourites for the title, Mbappé continues to add to his tally. He is one goal away from equalling Ronaldo in World Cup scoring, and two short of the record held by Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi. The Argentine, his former PSG team-mate, is playing in his final World Cup. Mbappé will have other chances ahead if he wants them.

But even if he were to stop today, he would already have earned his place in the French pantheon.