Mbappé Set for 100th France Cap Against Iraq

Kylian Mbappé will reach another historic milestone when he makes his 100th appearance for France in their FIFA World Cup 2026™ Group I clash against Iraq in Philadelphia on Monday.

The 27-year-old captain has already become his country’s all-time leading scorer after netting twice in the 3-1 win over Senegal, taking his tally to 58 goals and surpassing Olivier Giroud’s previous record of 57.

‘It is always a pleasure to have the chance to play for your country. There is nothing bigger, one hundred is a historic figure, and to have the chance to reach that tally here at a World Cup means it will be a special match for me,’ Mbappé told reporters ahead of the game.

He will become the 10th French player to reach a century of caps, though he remains some way behind Hugo Lloris’s record of 145 appearances.

Yet Mbappé insisted that the focus must remain on the team’s progress.

‘The importance and the stakes of the match are what really matter and we need a win to go through,’ he said.

Mbappé’s World Cup journey has already defined his career. He burst onto the global stage in Russia 2018, scoring four goals as France lifted the trophy, and followed up with eight goals in Qatar 2022, including a hat-trick in the final defeat to Argentina.

Now, with 14 World Cup goals from just 15 appearances, he is closing in on Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16, equalled last week by Lionel Messi.

‘I knew Leo Messi would score goals, he always does. He has the record, I am just behind and I will keep trying to score goals,’ Mbappé said.