Does Mbappé have 400 goals?
Kylian Mbappé seems to score every time he touches the ball, so it’s no surprise people are asking if he has reached the legendary 400-goal mark. The answer is both yes and no, and the reason is simpler than you think. The confusion stems from what counts as an ‘official’ goal.
For a player’s permanent record, not all goals carry the same weight. Statisticians only track goals from competitive senior-level matches, leaving out youth games and club friendlies. To settle the debate, we must look at the number that truly matters for the history books.
What Counts as an ‘Official’ Goal? The Simple Rule That Changes Everything
If you’ve ever seen a highlight of Mbappé scoring in a pre-season game, you might wonder why it doesn’t always appear in his final tally. To ensure every player is measured by the same yardstick, official statisticians follow one simple, crucial rule that separates a casual goal from a career-defining one.
The standard used by record-keepers is the official senior goal. This is a goal scored for a professional club’s first team or a country’s main national team in a competitive match. Think of it like an author’s published books versus the short stories they wrote in high school; only the official, published work counts toward their professional legacy.
This distinction is all about fairness. By only counting these competitive, high-stakes goals, we can accurately compare a player like Mbappé to legends from different generations. It ensures a goal in a World Cup final carries the same historical weight as one from decades ago, creating a level playing field for greatness.
Mbappé’s Official Goal Tally: The Real Number and Where He Scored Them
After filtering for only official goals, Kylian Mbappé’s senior career total stands at just over 325 goals. This is the official figure used by record-keepers to measure his legacy, and it paints a clear picture of a world-class scorer in his prime. Every one of these goals was scored in a competitive, professional match for his club or country.
The majority of those goals have come during his time at Paris Saint-Germain, where he became a global superstar. He consistently finds the net in both France’s top league and Europe’s biggest tournament, the Champions League. A simple breakdown of his official goals looks like this:
- Paris Saint-Germain: Over 250 goals
- The French National Team: Over 45 goals
- AS Monaco: Over 25 goals
While his club numbers are staggering, many of his most iconic moments have come while wearing the blue jersey of France. Scoring in a World Cup final is a rare feat; Mbappé has done it twice. This ability to perform on the biggest stage is what separates the good from the great. His record isn’t just about volume—it’s about delivering goals that define tournaments and shape history.
The Countdown to 400: When Will Mbappé Reach This Legendary Milestone?
Knowing his official count is just over 325, the next question is clear: when will Mbappé reach 400 goals? His remarkable consistency provides the answer. By looking at his scoring pace over the last few years, we can make a solid prediction.
For the past several seasons, Mbappé has been a goal-scoring machine, reliably netting between 40 and 50 goals each season for club and country combined. With roughly 75 goals to go to hit the 400 mark, the timeline becomes surprisingly clear. At this rate, he is firmly on track to celebrate that historic 400th goal sometime during the 2025-2026 season.
This incredible pace makes the 400-goal milestone feel less like a possibility and more like an appointment. It also raises another fascinating question: is he scoring faster than the legends who came before him?
How Mbappé’s Pace Compares to the Greats: Is He Ahead of Messi & Ronaldo?
Putting Mbappé’s numbers into context is where his achievement truly shines. By the time they turned 25, Lionel Messi had scored just under 200 official goals, and Cristiano Ronaldo had tallied around 130. With over 325 goals at the same age, Mbappé isn’t just ahead of their pace; he has completely shattered it. This blistering start places him among the very best in the history of the sport, rivaled only by his contemporary Erling Haaland.
This historic scoring rate means Mbappé is on a trajectory to become one of the youngest players ever to score 400 goals. While legends of the past also scored at incredible rates, few have combined such high-volume scoring with appearances at the very top of European and international football from such a young age.
However, the marathon is different from the sprint. What cemented the legacies of Messi and Ronaldo was their unbelievable longevity—the ability to maintain that world-class scoring for another 10 to 15 years. While Mbappé is currently running a faster race, the ultimate challenge will be maintaining this pace for the next decade.
The Final Answer on Mbappé’s 400-Goal Quest
The next time Kylian Mbappé’s goal count is debated, the conflicting numbers won’t be confusing. The simple but critical difference is between official senior career goals and all the others. While he hasn’t officially reached 400 yet, he is incredibly close and scoring at a faster pace than Messi or Ronaldo did at the same age.
The conversation isn’t about if he will join the 400-goal club, but how quickly he’ll chase down 500. It’s a chance to watch a living legend make history, one official goal at a time.
