Kylian Mbappe fails to win LaLiga in first season with Real Madrid: How long did it take Cristiano Ronaldo?

Real Madrid have endured a forgettable 2024–25 season. The club began the campaign with high expectations, but their performances fell far short as the season progressed, and they failed to meet any of their main objectives. One of those was LaLiga, which they lost to Barcelona. In this context, comparisons between Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo are unavoidable.

After a crushing defeat in El Clasico last Sunday, Real Madrid faced an uphill battle in the Spanish title race. They trailed Barcelona by seven points with only three matches remaining, meaning they would have needed to win out and hope for a major collapse from their rivals. That didn’t happen. Although Los Blancos defeated Mallorca on Wednesday, Los Blaugranas clinched the title 24 hours later with a win over Espanyol.

In his debut season with the Spanish giants, Mbappe came up short in his bid to lead the team to a LaLiga title—just as he did in the UEFA Champions League, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. The club’s only piece of silverware this season came in August 2024, when they defeated Europa League champions Atalanta to lift the UEFA Super Cup.

It’s a situation reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo’s early days with the club. The Portuguese forward arrived at Madrid in the summer of 2009 from Manchester United, amid enormous hype. But his start in Spain was also bumpy, as he failed to win any trophies in his first year.

Kylian Mbappe has won just one title with Real Madrid so far

How long did it take Cristiano Ronaldo to win a title with Real Madrid?

In his first season at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo endured a string of disappointments that left him empty-handed. In LaLiga, they finished second behind Barcelona. In the Copa del Rey, they suffered a shocking early exit against third-division side Alcorcon. And in the UEFA Champions League, they were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Olympique Lyonnais.

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Mbappe hits 40 goals with Real Madrid: How many did Cristiano Ronaldo score in his first year with Los Blancos?

Things improved slightly the following season. Real Madrid captured the 2010–11 Copa del Rey title, giving CR7 his first trophy at the club after a win over Barcelona in the final. However, their rivals again topped LaLiga that year. In the Champions League, it was also Barcelona who prevailed, comfortably eliminating Madrid in the semifinals.

Cristiano Ronaldo finally claimed his first LaLiga title in 2012, his third season with Real Madrid. That breakthrough marked the beginning of a hugely successful era for the Portuguese star. He would go on to win another Spanish league title in 2017 and four Champions League trophies. By the time he departed for Juventus in 2018, CR7 had collected 16 titles during his time in Madrid.