Will Haaland be able to catch up?
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Kylian Mbappé made headlines on Thursday night as he scored during France’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Ukraine in a European qualifier for the 2026 World Cup. He found the back of the net from the penalty spot just after halftime and followed it up with a second goal seven minutes before the end of the match, converting a rebound to put France ahead 3-0. While France secured a fourth goal shortly after, it was Mbappé’s second goal that etched his name into history, as he became the youngest player to reach 400 career goals at the age of 26 years, 10 months, and 24 days.
The Youngest Players to Reach 400 Career Goals
With a tally of 55 goals for the national team, 256 for Paris Saint-Germain, 27 for Monaco, and 62 for Real Madrid, Mbappé’s 400 career goals put him ahead of the previous record held by German legend Gerd Müller, who reached 400 goals at 27 years, two months, and 17 days—113 days older than Mbappé. In third place is Lionel Messi, who achieved 400 goals at 27 years, three months, and three days. Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo is sixth on this list, reaching the milestone just before his 29th birthday, while Neymar did so just before turning 30.
Another German striker, Uwe Seeler, makes the top 10, reaching the 400-goal mark just nine days after his 28th birthday. English players Jimmy Greaves (28 years, one month, and 17 days) and Harry Kane (30 years, eight months, and 30 days) also feature in the top 10. Rounding out the list are Robert Lewandowski, who hit 400 goals at 30 years, six months, and 16 days, and Luis Suárez, who did so at 31 years and one month.
The Quickest Players to Reach 400 Career Goals
In terms of the fewest games played to reach 400 goals, Mbappé ranks seventh, having accomplished this feat in 537 matches across his various teams and the French national squad. His record surpasses those of Neymar (653 games), Ronaldo (653 games), Lewandowski (632 games), and Kane (631 games). Brazilian great Romário falls just above him, achieving 400 goals in 533 matches for clubs like Barcelona and Fluminense.
In this category, Messi stands fifth, needing only 525 games to score 400 career goals. He is preceded by Greaves (524 games), Müller (403), and Seeler (387). The record for the fewest games remains held by Franz Binder, who remarkably scored 400 goals in just 316 games while representing both Austria and Germany.
Can Erling Haaland Break Mbappé’s Record?
As for potential candidates to break into the top 10, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland appears to be on track. With 331 goals in 374 matches, he averages 0.89 goals per game and is projected to reach the 400-goal milestone in approximately 452 games—an accomplishment that would place him fourth on this elite list. As of this writing, Haaland is 25 years, 0 months, and 24 days old, leaving him with 664 days to net the 69 goals needed to surpass the record set by Mbappé.
