As Real Madrid prepare to take on Real Betis at La Cartuja on Friday night, Kylian Mbappé is set for a significant milestone: 100 matches for Los Blancos.
The French superstar’s first two years have not been as glorious as he—or many fans—might have predicted. Madrid have yet to win a major honor with Mbappé in the team, but there is little doubt that he is a supreme goalscorer.
With 24 goals in 27 La Liga outings in 2025–26 to date, Mbappé is on course for successive Pichichi Trophy wins—a feat not achieved by anyone since Lionel Messi in 2021 and not by a Madrid player since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2015.
Should he claim successive top scorer awards, Mbappé would do so in his first two seasons in La Liga—something not done by Ronaldo, nor goalscoring greats Alfredo di Stefano, Ferenc Puskás and Hugo Sánchez. The last person to do so was Valencia’s Mario Kempes in 1978.
A Goalscoring Phenomenon
Mbappé has improved his scoring rate since moving to Madrid, netting 16 more in his first century of appearances for Real Madrid than he did at Paris Saint-Germain.
Compared to modern greats at Madrid, Mbappé’s return is already more than double than the amount managed by countryman and 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema (41) in his first 100 games. Unless he scores ten against Betis, however, he will be some way off Ronaldo, who managed a scarcely believable 95 in his first 100.
Mbappe could yet become the man with the most goals in a single Real Madrid season who is not named Cristiano Ronaldo, if he ends the campaign with upwards of 48 in all competitions—seven to go, with six games to play.
Madrid Legends Goal Record in First Two Seasons Compared
Mbappé is also set to become the player with the most goals in his first two full seasons at Madrid, with just two more strikes required to overtake Ronaldo. However, he has played significantly more times than the Portuguese superstar did, and sits fourth in terms of goal ratio.
Real Madrid’s All-Time Leading Scorers After Two Seasons
| Player | Appearances | Goals | Goals to Game Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferenc Puskas | 70 | 72 | 1.03 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 89 | 86 | 0.97 |
| Alfredo di Stefano | 60 | 52 | 0.87 |
| Kylian Mbappé* | 99 | 85 | 0.86 |
| Hugo Sánchez | 103 | 72 | 0.71 |
| Raúl | 68 | 36 | 0.53 |
| Karim Benzema | 81 | 35 | 0.43 |
*as it stands with games still to play in the second season.
Can Real Madrid Find a Way to Win With Mbappé?
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, former France star Paul Pogba insisted that Mbappé “winning the Ballon d'Or is just a matter of time”. However, it seems unlikely that he will be honored with the coveted prize this year based on Madrid’s form.
With his ability to put the ball in the net never in question, the real conundrum for Madrid is how to get the the team to work around Mbappé.
Both the France star and Vinicius Junior were whistled during Tuesday’s win over Alavés with fans voicing their frustrations at the superstar duo as a trophyless season beckons.
Didier Deschamps, the man who led Mbappé’s France to World Cup glory in 2018 and the 2022 final, has been linked to take over at the Bernabéu next season and is clearly a man who knows how to build a team around his star name.
Mbappé for his part was spotted liking an Instagram post suggesting José Mourinho as the man to unlock the number nine’s full devastating potential.
Responding to a question about Mabppé’s social media activity ahead of the Betis game and Mbappé’s 100th appearance, current manager Álvaro Arbeloa told reporters: “These are things I don't even consider. It doesn't bother me if he gives a like to Mourinho, Julia Roberts or anyone else. It has no importance.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Kylian Mbappe Compares to Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid Legends at 100 Games.
