History: Back in the day when Mbappé visited Real Madrid to meet his idol Cristiano Ronaldo
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Kylian Mbappe stands on the brink of history with just one game remaining in the 2025 calendar year, as the Real Madrid forward closes in on one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s most remarkable club records. Mbappe scored his 57th and 58th goals of the year in Real Madrid’s latest outing against Talavera, moving to within a single goal of Ronaldo’s record-breaking tally for the Spanish giants.
The French star’s numbers underline what has been an extraordinary year. Since the start of 2025, Mbappe has netted 58 goals at club level, placing him level with Ronaldo’s 2012 return and just one shy of the Portuguese legend’s best-ever scoring year at Real Madrid.
Ronaldo set that benchmark in 2013, when he scored 59 goals across all competitions for the club, a figure that remains the highest calendar-year total in Madrid’s history.
Mbappe’s rise to this position has not been without scrutiny. Following his arrival at Real Madrid last season, questions were raised about how he would fit into a team already boasting attacking stars such as Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.
While it took several months for the forward to fully settle, there is now little doubt that Mbappe has established himself as Madrid’s leading figure in attack.
With Real Madrid’s final match of 2025 scheduled against Sevilla this weekend, Mbappe has one last opportunity to either equal or surpass Ronaldo’s record. Confidence is likely to be high, given that the Frenchman has scored in both of his previous appearances against Sevilla, a record that could provide added belief as he targets another milestone.
The current list of Real Madrid’s highest goal tallies in a single calendar year highlights the scale of Mbappe’s achievement. Ronaldo holds the top spot with 59 goals in 2013, followed by Mbappe’s 58 goals in 2025, a total matched by Ronaldo in 2012. Ronaldo also occupies the next three places, with 56 goals in 2014 and 54 in 2015, underlining his dominance during his time at the club.
For Mbappe, the pursuit of this record carries added emotional significance. He has long spoken of Ronaldo as his footballing idol, and now finds himself on the verge of eclipsing one of his hero’s most celebrated achievements. Earlier this year, Mbappe described Ronaldo as his role model and the reference point for Real Madrid, praising the advice and motivation he continues to receive from the former Madrid star.
Even if Mbappe does break the calendar-year record, the wider challenge of matching Ronaldo’s overall impact at the club remains daunting. Ronaldo scored a club-record 450 goals in 438 appearances for Real Madrid, averaging a goal every 84 minutes.
By comparison, Mbappe has been averaging a goal every 93.9 minutes since joining the club, a rate that would require him to make around 470 appearances to reach the same total.
Still, with history within touching distance, Mbappe’s focus this weekend will be firmly fixed on one more goal and a place alongside — or above — his childhood idol in Real Madrid folklore.
About the Author
