Kylian Mbappé became the second-quickest player in La Liga history to reach 40 goals with his weekend strike against Villarreal, with only the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo having achieved the feat in fewer matches.
Mbappé toppled records during his first season with Real Madrid despite a disappointing campaign for the 15-time Champions League winners, including scoring more goals than any other player in club history during his debut term.
The Frenchman has made a similarly devastating start to the 2025–26 season as Madrid begin their evolution under Xabi Alonso, notching 14 goals in just ten appearances in all competitions.
Nine of those strikes have come in La Liga, taking his overall tally to 40 in the competition. He has hit the total in just 42 matches, with only Ronaldo reaching the milestone in fewer matches. The Portugal international managed the feat in 41 games.
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Despite not being able to steal Ronaldo’s record, Mbappé has beaten the likes of Ronaldo Nazário, Radamel Falcao, Luis Suárez and Ruud van Nistelrooy to 40 goals in La Liga—esteemed company to say the least.
The fact that Mbappé is on the same trajectory as Ronaldo at the Bernabéu can only be a good thing for both the club and the 26-year-old—although silverware, both collective and individual, will be required to match Ronaldo’s astonishing legacy.
Mbappé is of course among the contenders for the 2026 Ballon d’Or having failed to win football’s ultimate individual prize previously. At the time of writing, it’s hard to imagine that he’s not the early season favorite—his goal return and the relative dips in form and injury absences of key rivals pretty stark.
Ronaldo has five Ballon d’Or wins to his name—something Mbappé will do incredibly well to match with the emergence of Lamine Yamal—and sits second in the all-time winners list behind Lionel Messi (eight).
Mbappé had to watch compatriot Ousmane Dembélé win the accolade in 2025 for his former club Paris Saint-Germain, but a trophy-laden campaign with Madrid and France will almost certainly keep him in the driving seat.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kylian Mbappé Milestone Just One Short of Cristiano Ronaldo Record.
