France’s Mbappe having a record-setting World Cup

PHILADELPHIA (AP):

Kylian Mbappe passed Pele on the World Cup goalscoring list and inched closer to setting the overall goal record for the tournament. And, Mbappe also set France’s national team goal-scoring record.

All that in just his first World Cup game of this tournament.

Stopping the 2022 Golden Boot trophy winner seems almost impossible.

Iraq coach Graham Arnold — tasked with slowing down Mbappe and the 2022 World Cup finalist France today in the second Group I match — had an idea that might have worked.

“I asked if we could play three goalkeepers,” Arnold said with a laugh yesterday. “But they said no.”

The 27-year-old Mbappe, who stars for Real Madrid, has another milestone to hit against Iraq before his powerful foot takes a single kick. Already playing in his third World Cup and a champion in 2018, Mbappe will play his 100th international game for France.

“It’s always a pleasure to be able to play on the national team,” Mbappé said at a jam-packed press conference inside the locker room of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. “There’s nothing bigger than the national team. One hundred, that’s historic. All the more when it’s the World Cup.”

He could overtake coach and former captain Didier Deschamps (103 appearances as a midfielder) if France go deep at this tournament. Barring injury, Mbappe could go on to overtake goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’ record of 145 appearances for Les Bleus.

Mbappe, one of two men to have a hat-trick in a World Cup final, scored his 13th and 14th World Cup goals in France’s 3-1 tournament-opening victory against Senegal. Those were his 57th and 58th playing internationally, tying and passing Oliver Giroud for the most in the country’s rich history.

Mbappe’s second goal broke a tie with Pele on the World Cup list.

His 14 World Cup goals include two at this tournament; eight in 2022, where he earned the Golden Boot trophy as top scorer; and four in 2018.

Mbappe is now tied with Germany’s Gerd Müller for the fourth most in World Cup history. He is one behind Brazil’s Ronaldo and two away from the record of 16 held by Miroslav Klose of Germany and Lionel Messi, who had a hat-trick for Argentina in this World Cup.

With at least another decade and potentially at least two more World Cups, plus the remaining games in this event ahead of him, the debate has started to rage: Could Mbappe go down as the greatest ever World Cup player?

“It’s debate for the people,” Mbappé said in English. “It’s debate for the journalists, debate for the fans of football. I think it’s good to debate about players. See who’s the best. For me, it’s not a question in my head. It’s just about how can I help my team tomorrow against Iraq and can I bring the trophy home in July.”