At the age of 27, Kylian Mbappe is already on a path towards being regarded as one of the game’s greatest-ever players, and his achievements at club level with Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, as well as with France – 55 goals in 94 caps – would already fill entire books. After winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in Russia, he almost fired Les Bleus to back-to-back titles at Qatar 2022, only for the French to be beaten 4-2 on penalties by Argentina after a thrilling 3-3 draw in the final.
Can this boy from Bondy on the outskirts of Paris now make history by reaching his third consecutive World Cup final? We’ll know in July at the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
Mbappe’s achievements and attributes
At club level, Mbappe has already lifted no fewer than 18 trophies: two with Monaco, where he made his professional debut in December 2015; 14 with Paris Saint-Germain, including six French league titles; and two with Real Madrid, whom he joined in June 2024.
On the international stage, Mbappe won the World Cup at Russia 2018 before leaving Qatar four years later with a silver medal around his neck. He also won the European Under-19 Championship in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2021.
Although he is blessed with blistering pace, Mbappe is above all an outstanding finisher. He remains PSG’s all-time top scorer with 256 goals, and claimed the top scorer accolade in Ligue 1 a record six times in a row between 2018 and 2024.
Nobody has bagged more goals in World Cup finals than Mbappe, who scored against Croatia in 2018 and three times against Argentina in 2022.
Mbappe tributes
“Mbappe can become my heir, and I’m not kidding. I can see a lot of myself in his ability to play with speed. He’s an attacker who thinks quickly. When the ball arrives, he already knows what to do, he already has in his mind where to go.”
Pele
“He’s going to make history and surpass everyone.”
Zinedine Zidane
“Right now, Real Madrid have the best player in the world – Kylian Mbappe.”
Predrag Mijatovic
“Kylian is a different player, a beast who is very strong in one-on-ones, who goes into space, who is very fast, who scores a lot of goals. He is a complete player and he has proved it for years, and in the years to come, he will certainly be among the best.”
Lionel Messi
“He’s super hungry. In terms of his mentality, he’s a shark. He wants to grab everything he can have. In private, he’s a super nice guy, super intelligent, super funny. But once he’s on the pitch, he’s a shark.”
Thomas Tuchel
“What a player! You just want to see him play. He’s an extraordinary guy. That’s the style of play I love.”
Ronaldinho
Mbappe trivia
Mbappe stats
Mbappe’s World Cup history
Mbappe certainly didn’t do things by halves in his first World Cup in 2018, going all the way with France and finding the back of the net four times. After scoring the only goal of the game in the group stage against Peru, he delivered a masterclass in Les Bleus’ 4-3 win over Argentina in the Round of 16, scoring twice and winning a penalty for Antoine Griezmann’s opener after a dazzling burst of acceleration.
In the final, he scored France’s last goal in a 4-2 win over Croatia, and his star turns were enough to earn him the Hyundai FIFA Young Player Award.
Four years later, at Qatar 2022, he proved that he was a man for the big moments as he fired Les Bleus to their second consecutive final. In the group stage, Mbappe scored three times in his first two matches, a 4-1 win against Australia and a 2-1 victory over Denmark.
Just as he had in 2018, he scored twice in the Round of 16, and also added an assist for Olivier Giroud’s opener in a 3-1 stroll past Poland. His personal highlight came in the final against Argentina with a memorable hat-trick, but it was not enough to secure ultimate glory for France again.
He did not leave Qatar empty-handed though, picking up the adidas Golden Boot on the back of his eight goals as well as the adidas Silver Ball.
Mbappe and France’s World Cup 2026 hopes
With a squad bursting with talent, France will surely once again be one of the favourites to go all the way in 2026. Although they boast a solid defence built around William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano, as well as a powerful midfield featuring Serie A stars Manu Kone and Adrien Rabiot, Les Bleus above all have an attack that would strike fear into any defence.
Aside from captain Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele has been in exceptional form over the past 12 months, and his performances in 2025 secured The Best FIFA Men’s Player award. Michael Olise could also be one of the star turns at the North American showpiece given his scintillating stats at Bayern Munich (22 goals and 36 assists in 55 Bundesliga matches).
Rayan Cherki and Desire Doue (named best young player at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ with Paris Saint-Germain) are others who could well make a case for inclusion. A third consecutive final will certainly be in the sights of Mbappe and his team-mates, who will bid farewell to coach Didier Deschamps at the end of the World Cup after 14 years of loyal service.
France begin their Group I campaign against Senegal in New York New Jersey on Tuesday, 16 June before a meeting with either Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname in Philadelphia six days later. Les Bleus wrap up their initial encounters with a blockbuster showdown against Erling Haaland’s Norway in Boston on Friday, 26 June.
