Giroud on Mbappe breaking his France record: 'Now it
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- Kylian Mbappe overtook Giroud as France's all-time top scorer with his 58th goal during a win over Senegal, prompting Giroud to text him: 'Well, I kept the record for three-and-a-half years, and now it is yours.'
- Olivier Giroud highlighted a 2022 World Cup photograph — taken after his goal against Poland broke Thierry Henry's record — in which Mbappe, who had provided the assist, jumped into Giroud's arms in celebration, saying 'you know how much I love you, bro.'
- Giroud defended Mbappe's public image, arguing that what critics read as arrogance is actually confidence and ambition, and recalled that Mbappe was 'very mature and at ease' even as a teenager upon joining the France squad in 2017.
- Mbappe's first World Cup goal, against Peru at Russia 2018, came when he tapped in a Giroud shot that was looping over the keeper — Giroud said he had no grievance, because 'every striker would' do the same.
- Mbappe now has 14 World Cup goals, trailing only Miroslav Klose and Lionel Messi (who share the all-time record), and Giroud predicted the 27-year-old will surpass them at his next World Cup.
- Mbappe sits on 99 France caps, with Hugo Lloris holding the national record at 145 — Giroud identified caps as the next major milestone in his sights.
- Giroud praised Mbappe's on-pitch partnership with Michael Olise, specifically citing their combination for France's first goal against Senegal as a sign of more to come.
Why it matters: Mbappe overtaking Giroud cements a generational handover at the top of French football: Giroud, now third on the all-time list behind Mbappe and ahead of Thierry Henry, is using his platform to reshape the narrative around his successor, arguing that public perceptions of arrogance mask a mature leader capable of delivering France's third World Cup. The endorsements are notable because they come from the man whose record was just broken.
