Kylian Mbappe continues to make history in a French shirt. This Friday, in the 2-0 victory against Ukraine in Wroclaw, the Real Madrid striker scored his second goal for his national team and reached 51 goals in 90 international matches, a figure that puts him equal with Thierry Henry as the second highest scorer in the history of Les Bleus.

Only Olivier Giroud remains ahead of him, who holds the absolute record with 57 goals in 137 matches. That is to say, Mbappe is just six goals away from becoming his country's all-time top scorer, a goal that seems a matter of time given his effectiveness.

France imposed hierarchy in Wroclaw

The French victory had an additional value: it came in what, a priori, was their most complicated visit within Group D of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Against Ukraine, and in a special atmosphere with thousands of refugees present in the stands, Didier Deschamps' team showed their ability to adapt.

The game opened up early. In the 10th minute, Bradley Barcola overflowed down the left and passed to Michael Olise, who finished with quality to make it 1-0. France dominated without surprises and could have extended their lead shortly after with another shot from Olise himself that demanded goalkeeper Anatoliy Trublin.

But the second half changed tone. Ukraine pressed hard and had three consecutive chances that almost ended in goals: a Dovbyk header cleared off the line, a Kaliuzhnyi shot that forced Mike Maignan to defend, and a shot off the post from Illya Zabarnyi. During those two breathtaking minutes, the home side came close to equalizing.

The tension lasted until the 82nd minute, when Mbappe sealed the deal. Following a pass from Aurelien Tchouameni, the captain burst into speed, left Zabarnyi in his wake, and fired a right-footed shot inside the left post. A stunning goal that not only sealed the match but also placed him in a privileged place in the history of the national team.

Mbappe, ever closer to the record

At just 26 years old, Mbappe is six goals behind Giroud and has already surpassed legends like Henry in terms of effectiveness,who needed 123 matches to reach his 51 goals. Real Madrid's new idol, on the other hand, achieved it in just 90.