Kylian Mbappe’s best goals for France

Kylian Mbappe may have turned into a slightly divisive character in the footballing world in recent times but, whatever you think of the man, he is objectively a world-class footballer.

Complimenting his inherent penchant for flair, his blistering athleticism and his desire to be the best, is simply a fundamental gift – a talent that very few are born with.

Now regarded in some circles as the best baller on the face of the Earth, Mbappe lights up any stage he steps foot on, including the international one. Having played a massive role in his country’s World Cup-winning campaign in 2018 as a teenager, the Frenchman is now comfortably the talismanic spark at the epicentre of a squad with glittering potential – and he has the stats to back it up.

At just 23 years of age, the Paris Saint-Germain forward has surpassed 60 caps and has already eclipsed the 30-goal mark for Les Bleus – the all-time scoring record is well within sight. Here, 90min takes a look at some of the French superstar’s best strikes for his country… so far.

While not strictly containing the most sublime of goals, Mbappe’s performance in France’s 8-0 win over Kazakhstan in November 2021 was one of those in which really announced himself as part of football’s very top bracket.

A few months before scoring four against Kazakhstan in a World Cup qualifier, Mbappe missed the crucial spot kick in his nation’s penalty-shootout EURO 2020 exit to Switzerland. After that, the enigmatic forward went on a spree in which he scored nine and assisted five in his subsequent five international appearances – one of which was against Kazakhstan.

What makes this well-taken header – viewable at 01:22 in the video above – so special is that it marked Mbappe’s first international hat-trick, as well as a very clear turning point in his international career.

By the age of 18, Mbappe was already becoming an integral component of Didier Deschamps’ French side. He proved so three months prior to the 2018 World Cup with a brace against Russia.

The second of his goals against the Russians was a particular demonstration of the lightning football Mbappe specialises in. Skip to 00:39 in the video above to admire a now-typical cocktail of ferocious footwork and a fearsome finish from the Frenchman, who finds the back of the net via a nutmeg on Andrey Lunev.

As previously eluded to, the 2018 World Cup was the stage…