Mbappé breaks Messi's Champions League appearance record with goal in Madrid's 4-3 win at Roma

Kylian Mbappé broke Lionel Messi’s record as the youngest player to make 100 Champions League appearances on Wednesday, reaching the milestone at age 27 during Real Madrid’s 4-3 victory over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico — the same venue where Messi had set the mark at 28 back in September 2015.

Mbappé marked the occasion with a first-half equaliser, his 72nd Champions League goal, which moved him above former Real Madrid forward Raúl González into fifth place on the competition’s all-time scoring list.

Starting at centre forward under coach José Mourinho, the Frenchman continued a strong run of form in Europe’s premier club competition. He had also opened the scoring in Madrid’s 2-1 win over Inter Milan the previous month.

Mbappé made his Champions League debut as a 17-year-old with Monaco in September 2016, and has since become one of the tournament’s most prolific performers. Last season he topped the Champions League scoring charts with 15 goals, a tally that included the second-fastest hat-trick in competition history — three goals in six minutes and 42 seconds against Olympiacos.

The record-breaking appearance adds another landmark to a Champions League career that has accelerated at a pace few players in the competition’s history have matched.