Mbappe achieves something Messi, Ronaldo never did with 10 away goals in 2025-26 Champions League

With his goal for Real Madrid against Bayern Munich in the second leg of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, Kylian Mbappe has accomplished a feat not even Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could. Mbappe has scored 10 away goals, setting a new record for most tallies away from home in a season.

Not even the fact Mbappe played with a plaster on his face due to a gruesome cut above his right eyebrow prevented him from making his presence felt against Bayern Munich. Mbappe scored in the first half to put Real Madrid temporarily ahead 3-2 on the scoreboard (and temporarily 4-4 on aggregate), and he achieved what Messi and Ronaldo never could.

Mbappe has scored 10 times away from Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, cementing his status as a road killer. Mbappe has registered 15 goals in 11 games in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League. That means he has scored twice as many away from home, as he has five tallies in home games. However, it wasn’t enough as Real Madrid were knocked out of the tournament by Bayern Munich.

Bigger sample size for Mbappe in 2025-26

Though it takes nothing away from Mbappe’s incredible milestone, there is a factor that can’t be overlooked. Under the current Champions League format, teams can play up to seven away games from the league phase through the grand final.

Kylian Mbappe (left), Lionel Messi (middle), and Cristiano Ronaldo (right)

Neither Ronaldo nor Messi played under this format in their careers, so their away games were limited to six. It’s only one more game, but when it comes to players like Mbappe, Messi, and Ronaldo—who can score multiple goals night in and night out—it makes a big difference. Most likely, Ronaldo or Messi would have reached the 10-goal mark in away games in a single Champions League edition had they played under the current league format.

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It’s all counterfactual, but it’s still relevant to fully comprehend Mbappe’s accomplishment. Regardless, Mbappe has made Champions League history in 2025–26, and the record books will reflect just that.

All-time leading goal scorers in UEFA Champions League

With his goal against Real Madrid, Mbappe netted his 70th career goal in the UEFA Champions League. Now, he stands exactly at the halfway line to reach Cristiano Ronaldo at the top. The best player in Portugal history has scored 140 goals (with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus) in Europe’s most prestigious clubs competition. However, as Real Madrid were eliminated, Mbappe will have to wait for the 2026-27 edition to resume his chase.

As for Messi, the Argentinian magician is second in all-time scoring with 129 tallies for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. Robert Lewandowski closes out the podium with 109 goals (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona).