'It was stupidity!' - Kylian Mbappe makes surprise admission after making eye-catching error in France win

The world champions looked composed throughout, breaking down a stubborn Ukrainian defence with patience before Mbappe sealed the contest in the 82nd minute. His clinical finish moved him clear of Michel Platini and side by side with Henry in the national team’s history books. Only Olivier Giroud, sitting top with 57 goals, now stands between Mbappe and outright immortality.

But even the greats have their blunders. In stoppage time, Aurelien Tchouameni threaded an inch-perfect pass into Mbappe’s path. With just keeper Anatoliy Trubin to beat, the French captain opted for flair over efficiency, attempting a delicate lob. However, his effort fell flat on its face. 

Reflecting afterwards, Mbappe didn’t sugar-coat his verdict: "That was mostly just stupidity. A move like that is only beautiful if it works. Next time, I need to score it…or not attempt it at all.”

With six more goals needed to catch Giroud’s haul of 57, Mbappe is within touching distance of the summit. Given his age and scoring rate, few doubt he’ll rewrite the record books sooner rather than later. However, speaking to TF1 after the win, he downplayed his obsession with records: “The record is getting closer, it’s not something I’m thinking about. I don’t know if it’s because I think I can beat it or because I think there are more important things. But it’s true that being the top scorer in the history of the French team is no small feat.”

France’s comfortable victory keeps them firmly on track for qualification, but Deschamps’ men know the job isn’t done yet. Next up is Iceland on September 9, where Mbappe will once again have the chance to close in on Giroud’s record while steering his country towards the 2026 World Cup.