Kylian Mbappe has now reached 100 international appearances for the French national team — and his statistics are simply outstanding, even when measured against the legendary records of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

During his 100th outing for France, Mbappe scored twice against Iraq, taking his overall tally for the national side to 60 goals and 40 assists.

That total includes an impressive 16 goals scored in World Cup competitions. Mbappe claimed the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup and has already found the net four times in the ongoing tournament.

Messi, meanwhile, made his 100th appearance for Argentina back in June 2015, in a 1-0 win over Jamaica during the Copa America. That summer, he guided Argentina to the final, but they fell short against Chile — one of three heartbreaking major final losses Messi endured during his prime. It would take another six years before he finally lifted an international trophy with his country.

Ronaldo’s century of matches for Portugal came in a 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw at home against Northern Ireland. At that stage of his career, his goal return was relatively modest — at least compared to the astonishing records he would go on to achieve later in his thirties.

Given that Ronaldo and Messi stand as the two highest goalscorers in the history of men’s international football, Mbappe will have to maintain exceptional consistency and longevity to approach their records. However, his current statistics suggest that he is well on course to do so.

Speaking in 2023, Mbappe reflected on his admiration for both football icons: “I love Cristiano and I was a big fan of him when I was young, but I started to learn about Messi too. When you’re a big fan of Cristiano as a kid, you can’t really see how good Messi is because you just love Cristiano.”

He added, “But I grew up and now I like both of them.”

“Every time I step onto the pitch, I tell myself that I’m the best. And yet, I’ve played on fields where Messi and Cristiano were present. They are better players than me; they’ve achieved a billion more things than I have. But in my mind, I always tell myself that I’m the best, because that mindset stops you from setting limits and pushes you to give your best.”