Kylian Mbappé’s first campaign at Real Madrid drew immediate comparisons to the debut of Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined the Spanish giants in 2009. While Ronaldo went on to become the club’s all-time top scorer and a Champions League legend, Mbappé has made an early impression that puts him in elite company.
The French international arrived in the Spanish capital fifteen years after Ronaldo, with high expectations. Though he still has a long way to go to match Ronaldo’s legacy, Mbappé’s performances in his first season showed that he is capable of reaching great heights at the club.
Mbappé ended his debut season with 43 goals in all competitions, surpassing Ronaldo’s total by ten. However, Mbappé played 56 games, while Ronaldo made just 35 appearances. In terms of overall contributions, Ronaldo tallied 43 (goals and assists), five fewer than Mbappé’s 48, but in significantly fewer games.
While Mbappé found the net in six different competitions – a feat Ronaldo never achieved – Ronaldo delivered more assists, showing his ability to support teammates in addition to scoring. Both players ended their seasons as the team’s top scorers, but Mbappé also joined Karim Benzema as the only two to score in that many competitions in one season.
League and Europe performances
In La Liga, Mbappé scored 31 goals, five more than Ronaldo managed in his debut season. However, Ronaldo missed nearly two months due to an ankle injury. Despite that setback, the Portuguese star still recorded 35 goal contributions, narrowly edging out Mbappé’s 34.
The difference was more visible in assists. Ronaldo provided several more than Mbappé, who managed just three across 34 league matches. The Frenchman often focused on finishing rather than playmaking, frequently opting to shoot rather than pass to attacking partners like Vinícius Júnior or Rodrygo.
In European competition, Ronaldo once again had the edge. He scored seven times in only six Champions League games before Real Madrid’s early exit at the hands of Lyon. One of those goals came in the second leg, though it wasn’t enough to prevent elimination in the round of 16.
Mbappé matched Ronaldo’s goal total in the tournament, but required significantly more appearances to do so. Three of his seven goals came in one match against Manchester City in the knockout playoff round. He was unable to score in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, with Arsenal knocking out Real Madrid 5–1 on aggregate.
Trophies and recognition
Unlike Ronaldo, who didn’t win any trophies or individual awards in his first year with the club, Mbappé walked away with both team and personal honors. Real Madrid won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, with Mbappé scoring in both finals.
He also claimed individual accolades, including the European Golden Boot and the Pichichi Trophy, awarded for his 31 league goals. That achievement made him only the fourth player in club history to win the Pichichi in his first season, joining legends like Alfredo Di Stéfano, Hugo Sánchez, and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Mbappé also broke Iván Zamorano’s long-standing record for most goals in a debut season with Real Madrid. His 43 goals are now the most ever scored by a player in their first year at the club.
While Ronaldo went on to win multiple Champions League titles and rewrite the club’s history, Mbappé’s opening season has already set a high standard. The challenge now is for him to lead the team to greater success in the seasons ahead.
