Comparing Kylian Mbappé’s First Real Madrid Season to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Debut Year
Kylian Mbappé’s first season at Real Madrid has drawn comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo’s inaugural campaign with the club.
When Ronaldo joined Los Blancos from Manchester United in 2009, it marked the beginning of a legendary era. He went on to become the club’s top scorer, helped secure three straight Champions League titles, and broke numerous goal-scoring records.
Fast forward 15 years, and Mbappé arrived in Madrid looking to follow in his idol’s footsteps. Although the French forward still has a long way to go to match Ronaldo’s full list of accomplishments, his debut season has already placed him among elite company.
Let’s break down how the two stars’ first seasons compare across all competitions:
- Goals Scored: Mbappé netted 43 goals in his debut season—10 more than Ronaldo. However, he also played 21 more matches than the Portuguese forward.
- Goal Contributions: Ronaldo had 43 goal involvements (goals + assists) in just 35 games, while Mbappé reached 48 in 56 appearances. Notably, Ronaldo provided five more assists.
- La Liga Performance: Mbappé scored 31 goals in La Liga, topping Ronaldo’s 26. Yet, Ronaldo missed nearly two months due to injury and still managed 35 goal contributions, compared to Mbappé’s 34. Mbappé only contributed three assists, often choosing to shoot instead of passing to teammates like Vinícius Júnior or Rodrygo.
- Champions League Impact: Ronaldo had a more efficient European campaign, scoring seven goals in just six matches, even though Madrid were knocked out in the round of 16 by Lyon. Mbappé also scored seven times but required more than double the games. Three of his goals came in one match against Manchester City, and he failed to score in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, where Real Madrid were eliminated by Arsenal.
- Trophies and Honors: Ronaldo ended his first season without a trophy or personal accolades. Mbappé, in contrast, won both the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, scoring in both finals. He also claimed the European Golden Boot and the Pichichi Trophy for his league-high 31 goals—becoming just the fourth player in club history to win the Pichichi in his debut year.
Mbappé also set a new club record for the most goals scored in a debut season (43), surpassing the previous record held by Iván Zamorano. He joined Karim Benzema as the only players in club history to score in six different competitions—a feat Ronaldo never achieved during his time at Madrid.
Conclusion: Mbappé’s debut season statistically edges out Ronaldo’s, especially in terms of goal output and individual awards. Now, the challenge for the French star is to lead Real Madrid to major titles in the seasons to come.
