Kylian Mbappe has continued his quest to become the world’s next greatest footballer by beating a number of greats to his latest record.
The forward scored a hat-trick on Saturday night to help France secure a 14-0 win against Gibraltar in Euro 2024 qualifying, and reached another landmark in the process.
Despite finishing third in the latest Ballon d’Or standings as Lionel Messi was voted the best player in the world for the eighth time, Mbappe has continued to score goals at an astounding rate.
After notching 41 goals in 43 games across all competitions last season for Paris Saint-Germain, whilst also winning the 2022 World Cup golden boot with France in Qatar, the 24-year-old already has 15 strikes in 15 matches this term.
Mbappe continues to be linked with a transfer to Real Madrid as he looks to add a Champions League winners medal to the World Cup he won in 2018 and help his claim to be the best on the planet after both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo left European football.
Kylian Mbappe reached another landmark after netting a hat-trick in France’s 14-0 win against Gibraltar
The 24-year-old finished third in the latest Ballon d’Or rankings as he looks to become the undisputed best player in the world
Mbappe has also enjoyed a successful start to the season at club level with Paris Saint-Germain
And he has already beaten the pair, as well as former PSG team-mate Neymar, to the landmark of 300 career goals.
Mbappe does not turn 25 until December, yet it took Messi until he was that age to reach the landmark and Ronaldo did not hit 300 goals until he was 27.
Neymar was also 25 when he achieved the milestone, although Mbappe will be hoping to have greater success than the Brazilian in carrying the mantle of the world’s greatest player.
Erling Haaland, who is 23, currently has 231 goals to his name and will surely be targeting Mbappe’s achievement over the next few seasons.
Mbappe has reached 300 career goals at an earlier age than Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar
The French attacker won the golden boot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but was unable to add to the title he won in 2018
Despite this latest achievement arriving alongside another hat-trick against Gibraltar, French publication L’Equipe still only awarded him a nine in their notoriously harsh player ratings.
Mbappe has also endured a turbulent season at club level, with PSG boss Luis Enrique recently criticising the forward even though he scored a hat-trick in a Ligue 1 fixture against Rennes.
This follows a summer in which Mbappe was initially banished from training with the first team after he made it clear that he was unwilling to sign a new contract in the French capital.
The former Monaco attacker’s current deal expires at the end of the season, and although Madrid recently issued a public denial of reported negotiations with Mbappe, he is still expected to be on the move come the summer.
