Mbappé makes history with late strike against Nantes

Kylian Mbappé has another entry in Paris Saint-Germain’s history books. The 24-year-old striker already featured prominently in the club’s annals, setting a number of records this season - in the Week 3 game against Lille, he found the net just eight seconds after kick-off, scoring the fastest goal in PSG history and in November he became the club’s top scorer in European competition, after tucking home from the spot in the Matchday 4 clash with Benfica.

Mbappé averaging a goal per game

On Saturday, Mbappé rounded off the scoring in the 4-2 home win against Nantes. Two minutes into stoppage time, Timothée Pembélé squared the ball to Mbappé, who controlled, swivelled the drilled the ball low inside the post. It brought up his 18th League goal of the season - his 30th in total (he is averaging a goal a game) but more importantly, it took him past Edinson Cavani to become the top goal scorer of all-time in PSG’s 52-year history.

Previous record holder Cavani scored 200 goals during his seven seasons in Paris. Mbappé made short work of eclipsing the Uruguayan’s tally - while it took Cavani 301 games to reached his double century, Mbappé has surpassed him in just 247 appearances. Now the French striker is just one goal away from equalling another of Cavani’s records. Edinson is still the player to have scored the most goals in Ligue 1 in PSG’s history with 138, but Mbappé is now just one behind on 137. It’s now just a question of time before that record falls too.

PSG’s new top goal scorer told Canal+ after the game: “I play to make history and I have always said I wanted to make history in France, in the capital of my country, in my city, and I am doing that. It’s magnificent, but there is still a lot to be done. For me, as a native Parisian, this is special. If someone had said to me I would score the goal to beat the record while wearing the captain’s armband, I would not have believed it.”

PSG all-time top goal scorers

Figures as of Saturday 4 March 2023