A new, brilliant page has been written in the history of French football. Striker Kylian Mbappé has set an absolute record for the national team for the number of matches played at World Cups. The forward achieved this historic feat thanks to his appearance in the semi-final match of the 2026 World Cup.
The semi-final clash against the Spanish national team became the 21st match for the leader of the "tricolores" in the framework of world championships. It was precisely this appearance that allowed Mbappé to surpass his legendary predecessor — Hugo Lloris.
New Leader in the List of Record Holders
The former captain of the national team and goalkeeper, who stood in the French goal for many winning matches, Hugo Lloris, held this spot until recently. He has 20 matches to his credit in World Cup tournaments. Now he holds the honorable second place in the list of the most experienced players for the French national team at world championships.
Third place in this category is held by Antoine Griezmann with a score of 19 matches. The top 5 is completed by two other footballers who have already ended their careers with the national team — Olivier Giroud and Raphaël Varane. Both players have 18 matches at World Cups.
The Battle for the Title of Top Scorer
Considering the age of the national team leader, this record may become practically unattainable for subsequent generations of French players for decades to come. However, Mbappé does not stop at what has been achieved and continues to set new milestones.
The 27-year-old striker already has many achievements to his credit, but special attention is currently drawn to his remote battle with Lionel Messi for the status of the top scorer in World Cup history. At the moment, the Argentine leads with 21 goals scored, while Kylian is second with 20 goals. However, Mbappé will definitely still have chances to surpass the legendary Argentine, and this race promises to be exciting.
