Mbappe reaches 100 Champions League games and breaks Messi record
Key takeaways
- Kylian Mbappe played his 100th Champions League game at age 27, the youngest ever to reach the mark.
- He scored in Real Madrid's 4-3 win at Roma, his 72nd goal in the competition.
- Erling Haaland also broke a Messi record on the same night, reaching 60 goals in 60 games.
Kylian Mbappe made history on Wednesday night. He played his 100th Champions League game. He did it at age 27. No player has ever reached 100 games at a younger age.
The game was Roma against Real Madrid. It took place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Real Madrid won the game 4-3. Mbappe scored a goal in the first half.
That goal tied the score at the time.
The old record belonged to Lionel Messi. Messi reached 100 games at age 28. He set that mark against Roma in September 2015. Mbappe broke it against the same team. He did it more than ten years later.
What happened
Real Madrid went to Rome for a Champions League game. The game was part of the league phase. Mbappe started the game at center forward.
Coach Jose Mourinho picked him in the starting lineup.
Mbappe scored in the first half. His goal tied the game. It was his 72nd goal in the Champions League.
That goal moved him past Raul Gonzalez. Raul is a former Real Madrid star. Mbappe now sits in fifth place on the all-time scoring list.
Real Madrid went on to win 4-3. It was a wild game. Both teams scored goals. But Madrid took all three points.
The win kept their strong start going.
Mbappe reached 100 games at 27 years and 298 days. Messi reached the mark at 28 years and 84 days. Mbappe beat the record by a clear margin.
He is the 57th player to play 100 games in the competition. He is also the fifth Frenchman to reach the mark.
Mbappe started his Champions League story early. He made his debut at age 17. He played for Monaco in September 2016. He then played for Paris Saint-Germain. Now he plays for Real Madrid.
He has scored goals at every stop.
Last season he led the Champions League in scoring. He scored 15 goals. That total included a hat trick against Olympiacos.
He scored three goals in six minutes and 42 seconds. That was the second-fastest hat trick in the history of the competition.
He also scored in a big game last month. He got the opening goal in a 2-1 win over Inter Milan. His form has stayed hot all season.
Why it matters
The Champions League is the top club event in Europe. The best teams play in it. The best players score in it.
To reach 100 games is rare. To do it at 27 is rarer still.
Mbappe passed a record held by Messi. Messi is one of the great players of all time. He won the Champions League four times with Barcelona.
His records have stood for years. Now a new star is taking them down.
The goal also moved Mbappe past Raul. Raul scored 71 goals in the competition. Mbappe now has 72. The next name ahead of him is Karim Benzema.
Benzema scored 90 goals. That is a long way off. But Mbappe is still only 27.
Age is the key part of this story. Mbappe has played at the top level since he was a teen. He has stayed fit.
He has stayed sharp. He has played for big clubs. All of that adds up to 100 games before age 28.
The record also shows how fast the game has moved. Young stars now play big games early. They play more games each season.
The new league phase adds more matches. Records that once looked safe now fall faster.
Fans search for this story because it links two eras. Messi set the mark. Mbappe broke it.
The same team stood on the other side. Roma watched both moments. That detail makes the story stick.
What happens next
Mbappe will keep adding to his totals. Every new game adds one more appearance. Every new goal adds to his count.
He will chase Benzema next. He will chase the all-time leaders after that.
Real Madrid will keep pushing in the Champions League. The team wants another title. Mbappe has not yet won the Champions League.
That trophy is still missing from his list. Nights like this one show why Madrid signed him.
The next games matter for the table. Real Madrid wants a high finish in the league phase. A high finish brings an easier path.
It also brings home games late in the event. Mbappe will be central to that push.
Other records fell on the same night. Erling Haaland scored twice for Manchester City. City lost 4-2 at home to Paris Saint-Germain.
But Haaland reached 61 goals in 60 games. UEFA said he became the youngest player to reach 60 goals. He was 26 years and 85 days old.
He beat Messi's record by one day.
Harry Kane also passed Messi in one list. Kane scored twice against Viking. He moved ahead of Messi for goals scored after turning 30. His tally reached 36 goals.
It was a night of falling records across Europe.
Mbappe's night stood out most. He reached 100 games. He scored.
His team won. He took a record from Messi. He did it all in one game in Rome.
For more on the same match, read our report on Roma vs Real Madrid. For the wider picture, see Man City vs PSG and the standings. You can also check the Champions League matchday 2 schedule.
The story is simple. A young star reached a big number fast. He scored on the night.
His team won the game. The record book now has his name on it. The next chapter is his to write.
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