PARIS – Kylian Mbappé etched his name deeper into French football history as he overtook Thierry Henry on the national team’s all-time scoring list, powering Les Bleus to a hard-fought 2-1 win over Iceland in the 2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday (Wednesday, Philippine time).
The Real Madrid striker struck his 52nd international goal from the penalty spot in the 45th minute, eclipsing Henry’s 51 and moving into second place in France’s scoring charts. Only Olivier Giroud, with 57, stands ahead of him.
“I am proud to continue writing history with the national team, but the most important thing is the victory tonight,” Mbappé said after the match.
France had to rally after a defensive lapse allowed Andri Gyeon Nareuson to give Iceland a 21st-minute lead. Mbappé’s equalizer before halftime steadied the hosts, and he later turned provider in the 62nd minute, threading a perfect ball to Bradley Barcola, who slotted home the decisive strike.
The victory did not come easy. Aurélien Tchouaméni’s red card midway through the second half left France with 10 men, forcing Didier Deschamps’ side to endure Iceland’s late barrage. Nareuson thought he had salvaged a dramatic draw in the 90th minute, but VAR disallowed his goal for a foul on Ibrahima Konaté.
Despite being a man down, France dominated the attacking metrics, recording an expected goals tally of 3.0 against Iceland’s 0.66. Visiting goalkeeper Alfred Olafsson produced several crucial saves to keep the contest alive until the final whistle.
With the win, France climbed to the top of Group D with six points from two matches. Iceland slipped to second with three points. Les Bleus will next host Azerbaijan, while Iceland face Ukraine in their upcoming fixtures./PN
