Kylian Mbappé: The Rising Star Challenging Cristiano Ronaldo’s Legacy at Real Madrid

The notion that anyone could approach Cristiano Ronaldo’s data during his time at Real Madrid seems far-fetched. However, Kylian Mbappé is proving to be an extraordinary talent. With his recent goal at Mestalla, Mbappé has scored 38 goals in 31 matches this season, averaging over 1.22 goals per game. Though still a distance away, he is beginning to challenge the legacy of his childhood idol.

“We thought we would never see another player like Cristiano, but it seems Mbappé is on that path,” remarked Arbeloa during a press conference. Based on statistics and performances, despite Karim Benzema’s remarkable 2021-22 season, there has not been a comparable reliance on a single player at the club since Ronaldo departed from Chamartín. It appears that Real Madrid’s success this season will be closely tied to Mbappé’s contributions.

Cristiano Ronaldo concluded his tenure with an astounding 451 goals in 438 matches, a feat unmatched in Real Madrid’s history. To put this in perspective, Mbappé has currently netted 82 goals in 90 appearances—significantly fewer than Ronaldo’s tally of 86 in the same number of matches. If we look at Mbappé’s scoring average since his debut against Atalanta, he boasts a rate of 0.91 goals per match. At this pace, it would take him 496 matches to surpass Ronaldo’s goal count. If he plays around 55 matches a season, he might achieve this by the end of the 2032-33 season when he will be 34 years old.

However, if he maintains his current scoring rate, he would only need an additional 302 matches to eclipse Ronaldo’s record. While it seems improbable that he can sustain this level of scoring—given that Ronaldo’s peak was 1.13 goals per game in the 2014-15 season—anything is possible in the world of football.

Undoubtedly, Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy at Real Madrid extends beyond just his remarkable 451 goals. He was the cornerstone of the ‘Décima’ and the legendary squad under Zidane that won three consecutive Champions League titles. He was a hero for an entire generation. Mbappé is beginning to carve his own legacy, but he understands that mere goals, no matter how many, may not be sufficient to secure his place in the history of a club that proudly displays 15 European Cups in its trophy room.