Kylian Mbappe has silenced any criticism of his adaptation to Real Madrid with his recent performances. The French star has scored in his last five games for Los Blancos, including his first hat-trick for the club, bringing his tally to 22 goals this season. In such fine form, he could surpass Cristiano Ronaldo‘s goal total in his debut season with Madrid.
In his first season at the club, 2009-10, Ronaldo scored 33 goals in all competitions. With 17 league games remaining for Real Madrid and the team still competing in the Copa del Rey and Champions League, Mbappe has plenty of opportunities to surpass that mark.
However, it’s worth noting that Ronaldo only made 35 appearances in his debut season due to injuries. Meanwhile, Mbappé had a slow start in Spain, failing to score in his first three LaLiga matches and then missing some games due to a hamstring injury.
Since Madrid’s loss to Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés on Dec. 4, the Frenchman has scored 12 goals in 13 games across all competitions, including seven in LaLiga. In the domestic league, he is now the second-leading scorer with 15 goals, just two behind Robert Lewandowski (17).
Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring against Real Valladolid (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Despite his impressive form, Mbappe has said he doesn’t focus on winning the Pichichi. “If I’m the top scorer, great… I’ve done it many times in my career, but winning the league is the most important thing for me,” he told the press after his hat-trick against Real Valladolid on Saturday, Jan. 25.
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Ronaldo’s records with Madrid
Drawing comparisons to Ronaldo, Mbappé clinched his first hat-trick for Real Madrid after 32 matches in all competitions, one game fewer than it took Ronaldo to achieve the same milestone.
Cristiano Ronaldo during his first season with Real Madrid (2009/10) (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
However, following in Ronaldo’s shadow will be nearly impossible. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer with 450 goals. But that’s just one of many records he set with Los Blancos:
- The leading scorer for Real Madrid in Champions League history, with 105 goals (he is also the all-time leader in the competition with 140).
- The all-time leading Real Madrid scorer in LaLiga, with 312 goals.
- Holds the record for the most games with three or more goals in LaLiga history (34).
- Scored the most goals by a Real Madrid player in a single season (61).
As Mbappé’s journey with Los Blancos is just beginning, he will aim to leave his mark in Spain as well. While he emphasizes his focus on winning titles, achieving that will require him to be at his absolute best.
