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Kylian Mbappe is set to make his 100th appearance for France when he captains Les Bleus against Iraq on Monday, June 22 (local time) at the Philadelphia Stadium in Philadelphia, marking another major milestone in his international career.
According to the FIFA website, the French forward will become only the tenth player in France's history to reach 100 international caps for the national team. At the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, Mbappe is also closing in on another significant record. The France captain has scored 14 World Cup goals so far and is just five goals away from surpassing Lionel Messi's all-time tally of 18 World Cup goals, putting him in contention to become the tournament's highest scorer in history. Mbappe made his France debut on March 25, 2017, in a 3-1 win over Luxembourg during the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers. He scored his first international goal later that year, finding the net in a 4-0 victory against the Netherlands at the Stade de France. Since then, Mbappe has established himself as one of France's most influential players, playing a central role in the country's performances on the global stage. While France first took notice of Mbappe after he helped Monaco win the Ligue 1 title in 2017, the rest of the world truly saw his talent at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. After scoring his first World Cup goal against Peru in the group stage, Mbappe announced himself on the biggest stage with a stunning performance against Argentina in the Round of 16. He won an early penalty that Antoine Griezmann converted before scoring twice himself in France's thrilling 4-3 victory. The win proved to be a key step in Les Bleus' march to the title. In the final against Croatia, Mbappe became only the second-youngest player in history to score in a FIFA World Cup final after Pele. France went on to win 4-2, crowning him a world champion at just 19 years of age. The triumph elevated Mbappe to global superstar status. Although France suffered disappointment at UEFA EURO 2020, he responded strongly by helping Les Bleus win the UEFA Nations League in 2021, scoring the winner against Spain in the final. Mbappe reached new heights at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He scored eight goals during the tournament, including a historic hat-trick in the final against Argentina. Despite France losing on penalties, he won the Golden Boot and set a new record with four goals in the World Cup finals. Now captain of France, Mbappe continues to make history. In France's opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he scored twice against Senegal to become his country's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Olivier Giroud with his 58th international goal on his 99th appearance for Les Bleus. (ANI)
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