France striker Kylian Mbappe bagged a brace versus Ukraine to help Les Bleus secure qualification to the 2026 World Cup.
Mbappe scored his 400th career goal and also delivered an assist to Hugo Ekitike as France claimed a routine and dominant 4-0 victory.
No player in the 21st century has reached this milestone faster than the Real Madrid ace. The late great Pele is the only player in history to score 400 goals before turning 26 years old.
He started with 27 goals for boyhood club AS Monaco and then 246 for Paris Saint-Germain before bagging 62 in Real Madrid colours so far. The brace takes him up to 55 for France.
Despite the impressive numbers, Mbappe is not resting on his laurels.
The Frenchman said after scoring (via beIN Sports), Now, 400 it doesnt impress people. If you want to be in this circle that shocks people, you have to score another 400!
Cristiano Ronaldos 1,000 goals? That is unreal. But lets try the unreal. We have to try it. We only have one career.
And with that mindset, Mbappe is clearly chasing immortality. Everything about his trajectory suggests he is destined to finish his career as one of footballs all-time greats.
The records he has already shattered are merely foundations for whats to come, and the 2026 World Cup offers him another historic target.
Mbappe can become the tournaments all-time top scorer by breaking Miroslav Kloses record of 16 goals.
He already has 12, and as Frances captain, he will lead a squad hungry for redemption after the heartbreak of the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina.
At the club level, Real Madrid are thriving with him at the forefront.
His goals have propelled Los Blancos into pole position to reclaim La Liga from Barcelona, and with Mbappe at this level, it is hard to see the momentum slowing.
The legend he is building feels inevitable.