Kylian Mbappé: Champions League record breaker
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
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Kylian Mbappé, still only 21, is by far the most prolific UEFA Champions League scorer of his age.
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Kylian Mbappé turned 21 in December already with a FIFA World Cup, three Ligue 1 titles and over 100 professional goals to his name, including 19 in the UEFA Champions League.
Since opening his account aged 18 on his first European start, Monaco's round of 16 first leg away to Manchester City on 21 February 2017, the striker has taken to the competition. He ended up with six goals as Monaco reached the semi-finals that season and is now into double figures for Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.
That has taken him ahead of the only Frenchman to have got his first European goal at an even earlier age than Mbappé, Karim Benzema, as the player with the most UEFA Champions League strikes before his 21st birthday. However, Erling Braut Haaland's displays this season have already put Mbappé's mark in danger as the Norwegian could have the whole of the 2020/21 campaign to add to his tally before hitting 21.
Most UEFA Champions League goals before 21st birthday
19 Kylian Mbappé (Monaco/Paris Saint-Germain)
12 Karim Benzema (Lyon)
9 Patrick Kluivert (Ajax)
8= Obafemi Martins (Internazionale Milano)
8= Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
8= Raúl González (Real Madrid)
8= Javier Saviola (Barcelona)
8= Erling Braut Haaland (Salzburg/Dortmund)*
7= Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
6= Cesc Fàbregas (Arsenal)
6= Lars Ricken (Borussia Dortmund)
*does not turn 21 until 21 July 2021
Players' clubs only listed if they scored for them before their 21st birthday
Kylian Mbappé's key achievements so far
HONOURS:
France
FIFA World Cup (2018) winner
UEFA European Under-19 Championship (2016) winner
Monaco
Ligue 1 winner (2016/17)
Paris Saint-Germain
Ligue 1 winner (2017/18, 2018/19)
French Cup winner (2017/18)
League Cup winner (2017/18)
Individual
2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship team of the tournament
2016/17 UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season
2018 FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award, Dream Team
2018 French Player of the Year
2018 UEFA.com fans' Team of the Year
2018/19 Ligue 1 top scorer
RECORDS:
Youngest player to ten UEFA Champions League goals (18 years 350 days)
Second teenager after Pelé to score in a World Cup final