Kylian Mbappe surprised viewers on Tuesday by celebrating a goal for France at the 2026 World Cup with a pretend flute performance, fulfilling a promise he made to James Corden. The explanation came from an appearance on FOX's “After Hours with James Corden” on Sunday, where Mbappe said his parents encouraged him as a child to try many activities so he would “open my mind.” He added that they first pushed him to learn flute at age 7, and that he “tried” for two years before moving on.
Corden suggested bringing the old hobby back during a shared ride, handing Mbappe a flute to see if he could still play. Mbappe admitted, “I lost it completely.” Corden then proposed it could become a new goal celebration, and Mbappe agreed, saying, “I’ll do it for you, in the first game.” The two sealed the deal with a handshake.
On Tuesday, in France's World Cup opener against Senegal, Mbappe kept that promise. In the 65th minute, he scored with a fine finish to put France ahead 1-0, then ran to his usual celebration spot and mimed playing the flute instead of crossing his arms. France later conceded, but Mbappe answered again from outside the box with a right-footed shot into the top corner.
The brace gave Mbappe 58 goals for France, moving him past Olivier Giroud to become the national team's all-time leading scorer. He is also now just three goals short of overtaking Lionel Messi and Miroslav Klose as the highest scorer in World Cup history.
