With Kylian Mbappe’s brace against Ukraine in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Thursday night, the Frenchman forward reached his 400-goal mark in his football career. The 26-year-old scored a goal in their 4-0 victory against Ukraine to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
No player from the 21st century has ever reached this mark faster than Mbappe. The only player scoring 400 goals before 26 was Pele, at the age of 23. Mbappe’s road to reaching 400 goals was the beginning of his brilliant start to the 2025-26 season where he scored 23 goals in 20 appearances for club and country.
Full Breakdown of Mbappe’s 400 Career Goals
| Team | Appearances | Goals Scored |
| Monaco | 60 | 27 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 308 | 256 |
| Real Madrid | 75 | 62 |
| France | 95 | 55 |
Following his incredible mark with his most recent milestone in his victory against Ukraine, he stated that he is hungry for more goals.
“400 career goals? 400 goals don’t impress people,” the Frenchman said. “I want to leave my mark in football history, so I need to score 400 more.
“There’s one with 950-plus goals and another with 900-plus. So, 400 goals aren’t enough to be in the group of players who shock people.”
Mbappe clearly referred to Ronaldo and Messi with his statement. He made a strong point proving that he still has a long way to go to reach their level.
How many goals did Ronaldo have by the age of 26?
Ronaldo was already the world’s most expensive transfer in football history when Real Madrid bought the Portuguese emerging star from Manchester United for 94 million euros. Although, he had not scored as many goals as Mbappé did at the age of 26. Ronaldo had netted 213 goals in 471 match appearances with an average of 0.45 goals per game.
Ronaldo is currently the highest goalscorer in professional football with capping 953 goals to his name in his career.
Also read: FIFA World Cup 2026: Full List of Teams Qualified So Far ft. France
How many goals had Messi scored at 26?
Messi on the other hand, was much closer to the 400-goals mark than Ronaldo. By the age of 26, Messi had amused the fans with 348 goals in just 461 games with his numbers being averaged by 0.75 goals per game. The Argentine player has scored 894 goals in his professional career.
One thing becomes very clear, football fans across the globe are witnessing history unfold as they watch Mbappé chase down the best of all times. However, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and how his game will age remains to be seen.
The notable three players to reach their 400 goals milestone
| Rank | Player | Age |
| 1. | Kylian Mbappé | 26 years, 10 months and three days |
| 2. | Lionel Messi | 27 years, three months and three days |
| 3. | Cristiano Ronaldo | 28 years, 10 months and 17 days |
Aiming for glory
With France’s recent qualification in the World Cup, he is presented with an opportunity to add the third star to his jersey, a dream shared by Mbappé and his teammates. “Playing at a World Cup,” he noted, “only those who have done it know how special it is.” He expressed excitement about representing France on such a grand stage and highlighted their determination to win.
Written by: Atin Kevin.