Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé became the first player not named Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi in 38 years to claim the Pichichi Trophy in back-to-back seasons.
Despite missing significant time due to a nagging knee injury, the 27-year-old took home La Liga’s Golden Boot award for his productive 2025–26 season. Mbappé found the back of the net 25 times in the Spanish top-flight, edging out Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi by two goals.
Both players got on the scoresheet on the final matchday, but the France international already had a two-goal cushion that all but guaranteed the prize. He topped the league’s goalscoring charts with just 31 appearances to his name, while runner-up Muriqi and third-place Ante Budimir of Osasuna featured 37 times.
2025–26 Picichi Trophy Standings
| Rank | Player | Goals | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kylian Mbappé | 25 | 31 |
| 2 | Vedat Muriqi | 23 | 37 |
| 3 | Ante Budimir | 17 | 37 |
| T-4 | Vinicius Junior | 16 | 36 |
| T-4 | Ferran Torres | 16 | 33 |
| T-4 | Lamine Yamal | 16 | 28 |
Mbappé Joins Exclusive Club
Mbappé has now won two Pichichi trophies in the two years he’s spent at Real Madrid. The only other two players to take home the award in consecutive seasons in the 21st century are Messi and Ronaldo.
Messi, who won the prize a record eight times, claimed the Pichichi in the following seasons:
- 2009–10
- 2011–12
- 2012–13
- 2016–17
- 2017–18
- 2018–19
- 2019–20
- 2020–21
Ronaldo only won the award three times during his nine seasons at Real Madrid, taking home the trophy in 2010–11, 2013–14 and 2014–15.
The last time someone other than the two icons won back-to-back Pichichi trophies came 36 years ago, when Real Madrid’s Hugo Sánchez won the prize four times in a row from 1984 to 1988.
Barcelona legend Samuel Eto’o technically was La Liga’s top scorer in 2004–05 and 2005–06, but Spanish newspaper MARCA attributed one of his goals to a teammate, leaving Villarreal’s Diego Forlan as the sole-winner in 2004–05. The Catalans still to this day call the decision “dubious.”
Mbappé Still Chasing First Major Trophy
Despite his indiviudal accolades and records since joining Real Madrid ahead of the 2024–25 season, Mbappé still has yet to help Los Blancos win a major honor. In his two seasons in a white shirt, Real Madrid have only claimed the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Otherwise, the 15-time European champions have come up short in all major competitions. In Mbappé’s debut campaign, Real Madrid finished as the runners-up in La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. They also crashed out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals.
In 2025–26, it was much of the same for Mbappé and Co. They finished second in La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup, only made it to the round of 16 in the Copa del Rey and exited the Champions League in the quarterfinals. The team was also eliminated in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals.
Yes, Mbappé has scored 86 goals in 103 appearances at Real Madrid, but his production has not been enough to get his side win a major piece of silverware, a glaring stain on his résumé.
