Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe led his team to a 5-0 Champions League victory over Kairat with a hat-trick, cementing his place in the competition’s history. The French forward surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in a notable milestone, though he still trails Lionel Messi, who remains at the top.
With his three goals against Kairat, Mbappe joined an exclusive group of six players to reach 60 Champions League goals. He needed 89 matches to achieve the mark, surpassing the totals of Ronaldo, Benzema, and Raul Gonzalez.
The Real Madrid legend Raul needed the most matches to reach 60 Champions League goals, achieving it in 115 games. Karim Benzema follows, reaching the milestone in 111 matches, while Cristiano Ronaldo did it in 98 games.
With his latest three goals, Mbappe entered the top three of this exclusive group. Robert Lewandowski ranks second, having needed 85 matches to reach the milestone, while Lionel Messi remains the fastest, achieving 60 Champions League goals in just 80 games.
Lionel Messi celebrates a goal for Barcelona against PSG during Champions League. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Mbappe makes Real Madrid history
The hat-trick not only brought Mbappe to 60 goals in the Champions League but also placed him in an elite group alongside Ronaldo Nazario, Karim Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to score a Champions League hat-trick away from the Santiago Bernabeu.
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The 2018 World Cup winner also moved into sixth place on the competition’s all-time scoring list with his 60 goals, surpassing Thomas Muller, who had been tied with him at 57.
The race for the all-time Champions League top scorer is still led by Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 140 goals. However, the Portuguese forward is unlikely to play in another Champions League match, leaving the door open for someone to challenge that record.
Currently, Lewandowski has the best chance to surpass it, sitting third on the list with 105 goals and still active. But with what Mbappe is achieving at such a young age, he has the potential to compete with the Barcelona striker for years to come.
