Kylian Mbappe has become the youngest French footballer to hit the 40-goal milestone in Champions League football.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar netted a wonderful solo goal in the 13th minute of his side’s clash at Juventus on Wednesday night. Aged 23 years and 10 months, he became the youngest Frenchman in the history of the competition to notch up his 40 th goal in the competition.
Indeed, only two other French footballers have ever surpassed that figure. Thierry Henry – the previous youngest player to reach the landmark – scored 50 Champions League goals throughout his career, with Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema well out in front on 86 goals.
Mbappe broke onto the scene as a 17-year-old in the 2016-17 campaign when starring in the Monaco team who reached the semi-finals of the competition. The teenage prodigy bagged six goals in six starts for Leonardo Jardim’s side that campaign – before he secured his move to PSG.
The striker – still a teenager – netted eight goals across 16 appearances in the next two campaigns in the competition, as Paris Saint-Germain failed to breach the Round of 16 stage. He helped the side reach the final the following season with five goals in 10 appearances – but Thomas Tuchel’s side fell to a 1-0 final loss against Bayern Munich.
Mbappe then hit eight goals in the competition the following campaign including a hat-trick at Barcelona and a brace in a 3-2 win away at Bayern, although the side fell short in the semi-finals of that season against Manchester City.
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Last season, the striker hit an impressive six goals in eight outings for PSG but despite him finding the net in each of the legs of the Round of 16 tie against Real Madrid – but it was not enough for Mauricio Pochettino’s side to progress.
Mbappe is already up to seven goals in just six appearances so far this campaign with his strike at Juventus adding to braces scored against Juve and Maccabi Haifa earlier in the group, with Wednesday’s effort bringing up the 40-goal landmark.
Henry played in the Champions League for Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal and Barcelona – helping the latter to win the competition in 2009, a campaign in which he bagged six goals in European football.
