Kylian Mbappe’s meteoric rise in the world of football reached a new pinnacle as he notched his 300th career goal during France’s resounding 14-0 victory over Gibraltar in a EURO 2024 qualifier on Sunday. The 24-year-old football prodigy achieved this remarkable feat with a stunning hat-trick.
Having already claimed a World Cup title at the tender age of 18, Mbappe’s exceptional talent has drawn comparisons to the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. What sets Mbappe apart is the speed at which he reached the 300-goal milestone, raising questions about the comparison to his illustrious counterparts.
When Mbappe achieved the milestone against Gibraltar, he was just 24 years and 333 days old, surpassing both Ronaldo and Messi in terms of age when they reached the 300-goal mark. Ronaldo accomplished this feat at 27 during his peak years with Real Madrid, while Messi, despite boasting superior statistics to Ronaldo, reached 279 goals at the age of 25.
Mbappe’s latest achievement adds to his impressive season tally, bringing it to 21 goals in 19 matches, including his 17th career hat-trick. The PSG star has now scored 46 goals in 74 international appearances, placing him just five goals shy of Thierry Henry on France’s all-time scoring list and 10 behind teammate Olivier Giroud’s national record.
Meanwhile, the race for goal-scoring milestones intensifies, with Erling Haaland, aged 23, currently boasting 254 career goals. With a little under two years to go, Haaland faces the challenge of closing the gap to match Mbappe’s prolific scoring record.