Kylian Mbappe Relaxed Over Beating Iconic French Forward Goal Scoring Record

• Kylian Mbappe is eyeing breaking France legend's goal scoring record
• The PSG attacker led France for the first time as captain in their Euro 2024 qualifiers against the Netherlands
• He marked the occasion with two goals and an assist, beginning a new era for Les Bleus

Kylian Mbappe will try to put thoughts of surpassing France great Michel Platini's international goal-scoring tally to one side when he faces the Republic of Ireland in a Euro 2024 qualifier.

The 24-year-old Paris Saint-Germain star is set to captain Didier Deschamps' men in Dublin on Monday, having scored two goals in Friday's comprehensive 4-0 defeat of the Netherlands.

Those goals followed Mbappe's hat-trick in an agonising World Cup final loss to Argentina in December.

Mbappe has now scored 38 international goals, just three fewer than playmaker Platini, but still some way short of Olivier Giroud's all-time France record of 53 goals.

Argentina-based Retegui 'needs time' to learn Italian way, says Mancini

Football

"For me, it's an honour to be at this stage," Mbappe told a pre-match press conference on Sunday. "That's my next target and I'll keep going, It might be tomorrow, it might not.

"Obviously Michel Platini is a legend of French football, but I'll get past that mark at some point."

France coach Deschamps, who appointed Mbappe captain in succession to the long-serving Hugo Lloris, was confident, however, his new skipper would put the team's needs ahead of any personal aims.

"That's Kylian, he's full of ambitions, always setting himself new objectives, new goals," said Deschamps. "But the group, the collective, comes first. He's gone past people quickly, but his motivation is to keep going."

Mbappe's team talk

Sports Brief earlier reported that Kylian Mbappe began his era as France captain on flying note, inspiring Les Bleus to a landslide victory over the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 qualifiers on Friday, March 24.

Why new Portugal boss still depends on Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo

Football

The 24-year-old, who succeeded Hugo Lloris as skipper of France, grabbed a brace and an assist in the 4-0 triumph at the Stade de France, Paris.

Inside the locker room, the PSG attacker demonstrated why Didier Deschamps opted to appoint him as the leader of the group ahead of Griezmann.

"Well done, guys, well done, well done, that’s it!" He said as quoted by Sportskeeda. That’s how you start a game. Don’t let them breathe; give them nothing. Same thing in the second half, the same thing. Don’t let up. That’s how we do it, guys."