Thierry Henry, the legendary French football icon, has expressed his awe at the remarkable trajectory of Kylian Mbappe’s career, especially noting his recent milestone of 300 career goals.
Mbappe, the Paris Saint-Germain superstar, achieved this feat at a younger age than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, two of the most celebrated footballers of the 21st century.
Henry, who currently helms the French U21 national team, couldn’t help but marvel at Mbappe’s extraordinary talent and accomplishments. “What this kid is doing is truly out of this world. It’s simply incredible,” he stated. This commendation is particularly noteworthy coming from Henry, a figure deeply respected in the world of football.
The parallels between Henry and Mbappe are striking, with both having navigated a similar path through the Clairfontaine academy and achieving success with Monaco, including winning the French league title. Furthermore, both made a significant impact in their first major tournament with France – Henry in 1998 and Mbappe in 2018, each clinching the World Cup.
Mbappe’s style, characterized by his lightning speed and exceptional skill, draws a closer comparison to Henry rather than to Brazilian legend Pele, despite similarities in their precocious talents. Henry acknowledges Mbappe’s versatility on the field, being adept in scoring and assisting, yet he believes there’s still room for Mbappe to grow.
With his 17th career hat-trick achieved in a match against Gibraltar, Mbappe’s goal tally for the season has reached an impressive 21 in 19 matches. His record for France stands at 46 goals in 74 games, edging closer to Henry’s own record and not far behind Olivier Giroud, France’s current record holder.
The debate around Pele’s career goals, which some claim to surpass 1,000, including friendlies and matches against lower-tier teams, was humorously referenced by Henry when pondering the potential extent of Mbappe’s career goals. Jokingly suggesting 1,000 goals, Henry emphasized that the future lies in Mbappe’s hands.
Henry concluded by highlighting Mbappe’s passion for football, his professional approach, and unwavering desire to play, which make him a rare talent in the sport. “300 goals? There are some who didn’t even succeed in training,” he remarked, underlining the extraordinary nature of Mbappe’s achievement.
