Mbappé Makes History as Youngest to Reach 100 UCL Games

By Samuel Akpan

Kylian Mbappé became the youngest player ever to reach 100 UEFA Champions League matches on Wednesday, hitting the milestone at 27 years and 298 days while featuring for Real Madrid.

The French captain is also the fifth player from his country to reach the century mark.

He achieved the landmark in Real Madrid’s Champions League clash against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in Italy. Mbappé scored a first-half equaliser to make it 1-1 at the break, with Madrid eventually sealing a dramatic 4-3 victory.

Roma took the lead in the 20th minute before Mbappé levelled five minutes later.

Roma went ahead again early in the second half, but Madrid fought back with late goals to complete a thrilling comeback win.

Jose Mourinho’s return to Roma proved eventful as the Italian side pushed Madrid all the way in a high-scoring encounter before falling short in the dying minutes.

Lionel Messi previously held the record for the youngest player to reach 100 Champions League appearances, achieving it at 28 years and 84 days against Roma on September 16, 2015.

Mbappé made his Champions League debut as a 17-year-old with Monaco in September 2016.

Last season he topped the competition’s scoring charts with 15 goals, including the second-fastest hat-trick in its history against Olympiacos — three goals in just six minutes and 42 seconds.

According to UEFA, Mbappé is the second player to reach 100 appearances this season after his Madrid teammate Thibaut Courtois, who became the first Belgian to hit the mark on Matchday 1.