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Kylian Mbappe wasted no time making his mark at this summer’s World Cup, delivering an opening-match brace against Senegal that propelled him to the top of France’s all-time goalscoring chart.

His stunning second goal, struck powerfully from distance, moved him past Olivier Giroud to 58 international goals – a milestone he is expected to build upon in the weeks ahead.

The goal also brought Mbappe level with Gerd Muller on 14 World Cup goals. His first came against Peru in 2018, when the forward was just 19 years old, signalling the arrival of a special talent for France.

Mbappe went on to score four times that summer, including in the final, as France secured their second World Cup title. His then strike partner Giroud later admitted that the entire squad immediately recognised the extraordinary ability of the teenage sensation.

“When Kylian joined the national team, he was only 18,” Giroud told FourFourTwo. “From the very beginning, everyone in the squad knew we had an exceptional player with us.”

“He had all the qualities of a top striker – speed, technical skill, and remarkable maturity for someone his age. What impressed me most was his character. The way he interacted with the media and his teammates – always polite, always confident.”

Giroud and the former Monaco prodigy quickly developed a productive partnership, each complementing the other’s strengths seamlessly.

“Playing alongside Kylian was effortless from day one,” Giroud continued. “He’s such an intelligent footballer. He understood my role as a target man and used his pace and movement to enhance that. We supported each other instinctively – we always knew where the other would be on the pitch.”

Eight years ago, at just 19 and 21 respectively, Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele both started France’s first game of the 2018 World Cup.

“Kylian was still a teenager, but it was obvious he had to be in the team,” Giroud recalled. He began that match on the bench, while Antoine Griezmann completed the attacking trio.

Following a shaky opening win against Australia, Dembele made way for Giroud, who then became a key part of the starting XI for the rest of the tournament. Dembele played only two minutes in the knockout rounds.

“Mbappe, on the other hand, scored his first World Cup goal against Peru and then announced himself to the world with a double against Argentina in the round of 16,” Giroud said. “He made such a massive impact that summer. We were all so proud of him.”

In the final against Croatia in Moscow, the youngster from Bondy became the youngest player to score in a World Cup final since Pele in 1958. “From his very first tournament, Kylian’s talent was obvious,” Giroud smiled. “He was decisive in that final. You could already see the immense potential he possessed.”

Ed McCambridge, Staff Writer