Kylian Mbappe admits he is full of pride after helping France qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Les Bleus sealed their spot after beating Ukraine 4-0 in their penultimate group stage match, securing top spot in their group.
Mbappe was on the scoresheet twice, alongside Michael Olise and Hugo Ekitike.
There were post-match celebrations in Paris at full-time, as Didier Deschamps now looks to reclaim the nation’s title they lost in 2022.
Speaking after the match, Mbappe said: “Pride. You should never take it for granted; today it’s becoming normal, but it wasn’t always the case in the history of the French national team.
“We had to be as sensible as possible and keep in mind that the most important thing was the commemoration. On the pitch, we tried to do the job. We picked up the pace in the second half. After that, we played our game, we created chances, and I think people had a good evening.”
History in the making
Mbappe also marked the night with his 400th career goal, and also moved one step closer to matching Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time top goalscorer.
Reflecting on the moment, he added: “400 doesn’t impress people, if you want to be in that circle that shocks people, you have to score another 400.
“Cristiano Ronaldo’s 1,000 goals? That’s unreal. But let’s try the unreal, we have to try, we only have one career.
“I had to be the best version of myself so we could go to the World Cup. Last year was difficult for me with the national team, this season I had to show that the national team is important to me.
“On a mission? Everyone knows and can talk about football, but playing in a World Cup… only those who have played in it know that it’s special, it’s a privilege to represent your country in the eyes of the world.”
On next summer’s tournament, he finished: “Of course we’re going there to win, like all 48 other teams. It’s a dream to be able to put the third star on the French national team jersey.
“We need to use this 2022 World Cup final to go to the World Cup with confidence. We’ll wait for the draw and focus on the first group matches.”
