Kylian Mbappé moved to within one goal of history as France secured a confident friendly victory over Brazil at Gillette Stadium.
The Madrid forward struck in the 32nd minute, latching onto a perfectly timed through ball from Ousmane Dembélé before calmly lifting his finish over onrushing goalkeeper Ederson.
As reported by BBC Sport on Friday, the goal took Mbappé to 56 international strikes in just 95 appearances, leaving him one shy of Olivier Giroud’s long-standing national record of 57.
Returning to the starting lineup after recovering from a knee injury sustained during his time at Real Madrid, Mbappé showed flashes of sharpness throughout the first half.
He came close to adding to his tally but dragged two efforts wide before being substituted in the 66th minute for Marcus Thuram.
France’s task became more difficult in the second half when defender Dayot Upamecano was sent off for a last-man foul on Brazil full-back Wesley just outside the penalty area.
France’s task became more difficult in the second half when defender Dayot Upamecano was sent off for a last-man foul on Brazil full-back Wesley just outside the penalty area.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Didier Deschamps’s side maintained control and doubled their lead in the 65th minute. Hugo Ekitiké finished from close range with a delicate chipped effort to seal the win.
The result underlined France’s depth and resilience, but the night ultimately belonged to Mbappé, who now stands on the brink of becoming his country’s all-time leading goalscorer, a milestone that appears only a matter of time.
