Kylian Mbappé has reached a significant milestone with 90 appearances for Real Madrid, prompting a comparison between his achievements and those of Cristiano Ronaldo at the same juncture. The parallels in their trajectories at the club are intriguing, particularly in how their early seasons unfolded.
Both players began their Madrid careers without securing major trophies during their debut years, despite impressive individual performances that saw them net over 30 goals. In Ronaldo’s second season, he posted an incredible total of 53 goals in 54 matches, yet only clinched the Copa del Rey during that campaign.
Given Real Madrid’s recent struggles, it’s possible that Mbappé may also finish his second season without major silverware. Nevertheless, his offensive output remains remarkable. Over the course of this current season alone, he has scored 38 goals in just 31 matches, significantly outperforming his teammates, with a gap of 30 goals between him and the next high scorer.
Since Mbappé’s arrival at the club, he has made 90 appearances in total, scoring 82 goals and providing 10 assists. This impressive record averages out to a goal contribution every 80.5 minutes, setting him apart within the squad. However, while these statistics are staggering, they still lag behind Ronaldo’s stunning initial record. In his first 90 matches for Real Madrid, Ronaldo scored 86 goals and tallied 24 assists, averaging a goal contribution every 69.3 minutes.
Another noteworthy disparity is the percentage of goals scored from penalties; Mbappé has converted 23% of his goals from the spot, compared to Ronaldo’s 15%. This detail highlights that while Mbappé is enjoying an exceptional run, he still has considerable ground to cover when stacked against one of the game’s greatest players.
After Real Madrid’s recent victory over Valencia, former player Álvaro Arbeloa praised Mbappé, suggesting he is the world’s best player and has the potential to match or even surpass Ronaldo’s legacy. Arbeloa expressed admiration for Mbappé’s talent and emphasized the exceptional nature of Cristiano’s earlier performances, underscoring the high standards that Mbappé is set to meet.
Kylian Mbappe
Games: 90
Goals: 82
Assists: 10
Goal contributions: 92
Penalties: 19
Minutes per goal: 90.3
Minutes per non-penalty goal: 117.6
Minutes per goal or assist: 80.5
Cristiano Ronaldo
Games: 90
Goals: 86
Assists: 24
Goal contributions: 110
Penalties: 13
Minutes per goal: 88.6
Minutes per non-penalty goal: 104.4
Minutes per goal or assist: 69.3
In wrapping up this analysis, while Kylian Mbappé continues to break records and display exceptional talent at Real Madrid, the journey to matching or exceeding the legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo is still ongoing. With time on his side, there is much anticipation surrounding Mbappé’s future and the historic benchmarks he might achieve in the years to come.
