In the 44th minute, after reviewing the play, the referee awarded France a penalty kick for a foul on Marcus Thuram in the penalty area. Mbappe converted the penalty, shooting to the right, sending the Iceland goalkeeper the wrong way.

Kylian Mbappe celebrates his goal during France's 2-1 victory over Iceland in Group D of the European World Cup 2026 qualifiers on 9/9. Photo: *AP*

This was Mbappe's 52nd goal for the French national team, surpassing the record of legend Thierry Henry and leaving him just 5 goals shy of Olivier Giroud's all-time record.

After the match, Deschamps was asked about Mbappe surpassing his former teammate's goal-scoring record. Deschamps and Henry were key players on the French teams that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

"Everything has come to him very quickly, at a very young age, and very early on," the 56-year-old coach said. "Even when not at his best, Mbappe can still score. Henry was an exceptional striker, world-class. Mbappe is also an extraordinary player and will achieve his great goals."

Kylian Mbappe shakes hands with coach Didier Deschamps after the match. Photo: *Le Parisien*

France faced a tough match at home at Parc des Princes on 9/9. In the 21st minute, a misplaced pass from Michael Olise in the penalty area allowed Andri Gudjohnsen, son of former star Eidur Gudjohnsen, to score with a one-touch finish, putting Iceland ahead.

However, Mbappe's brilliance secured the three points for France. After scoring the penalty, in the second half, the 26-year-old forward sprinted into the box and crossed for Bradley Barcola to tap into an empty net, sealing the 2-1 victory.

"He's in a good frame of mind and in top form," Deschamps continued to praise his player. "Mbappe puts in a lot of effort, and he's been effective, consistently scoring in both recent matches. He's a good leader for the team, has freedom in his play, and connects well with Michael Olise. Mbappe is in excellent physical condition."

With this comeback victory, France extended their unbeaten streak in Euro and World Cup qualifiers to 25 matches (20 wins, 5 draws), their last defeat being a 0-2 loss to Turkey in June 2019.

Deschamps' team leads Group D of the European World Cup 2026 qualifiers with six points. Iceland has three points, while Ukraine and Azerbaijan each have one.

Kylian Mbappe celebrates with Bradley Barcola. Photo: *AFP*

After the match, Mbappe expressed pride in surpassing the record of Henry, a living legend of French football. He also stated that the win against Iceland allowed France to identify areas for improvement.

"Six points after two matches is a great result, we couldn't ask for more, but our performance still needs improvement. Each victory is just a small step, and we need many more such steps," the Real Madrid striker said. "In October, the team will reconvene in a different context, as everyone will have played more matches at the club level. That will be the time for us to show a new side of ourselves."

Compiled by Hong Duy