France triumphs over Ukraine in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, with Mbappe equaling Thierry Henry's international goal record for France, prompting Mbappe to praise Henry for paving the way.
Kylian Mbappé scored France's second goal in a 2-0 victory over Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier held in Poland on Friday. The Paris Saint-Germain forward's strike moved him within six goals of Olivier Giroud's all-time record for the most international goals for France, with 52.
Mbappé expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance, stating that France made good movement during the match and created danger and chances. However, he also acknowledged a moment of hesitation in the second half.
The 23-year-old forward praised Thierry Henry, whom he considers a role model and a player who paved the way for future France stars. Mbappé referred to Henry as "Titi" during his post-match interview, expressing his respect and admiration for the legendary striker.
Mbappé is now tied with Henry for the second-highest number of international goals for France, with 51 each. Giroud currently holds the record, but Mbappé stated that he wants to surpass Henry's goal tally and continue winning matches and titles.
However, Mbappé does not seem overly focused on breaking Giroud's record, stating that it's not something he's thinking about. He considers the possibility of becoming the top scorer in the history of the France team as an honor, but not something that is his primary goal.
France and Iceland are tied on three points after the opening round of Group D fixtures in the UEFA section of World Cup qualifying. The coach of the French national team during the qualification was Didier Deschamps, who wanted a good start to the qualifying phase. The coach who managed Iceland during the qualifying matches against France was not mentioned in the search results, but the coach of the Iceland team during the 2022 period was generally Arnar Viðarsson.
Mbappé's goal against Ukraine was the 10th-minute opener, added to by other goals. He mentioned that France played against a complicated team who gave everything, but generally had control over the match.
With Mbappé's continued form and France's strong start to the World Cup qualifying campaign, the team will be hoping to build on this victory and challenge for top honours in the tournament.
