Mbappé stalking legends

Real Madrid finally broke their La Cerámica curse. After seven winless league games at Villarreal, they left with all three points – despite running on fumes. And they owe it all to Kylian Mbappé, who led the comeback with ruthless efficiency. No need for explosive sprints, no wasted chances – just a pure striker’s instinct. Twice, he was exactly where a No. 9 should be.

First, he pounced on a rebound from a Brahim Díaz shot. Then, he blasted past Filip Jörgensen after a pinpoint cross from Lucas Vázquez. A classic poacher’s double, taking his LaLiga tally to 20 goals and his overall season total to 31. Now, he has surpassed Ronaldo Nazário’s debut-season tally and is closing in on Cristiano Ronaldo’s.

“Wow… they’re two legends who defined an era,” Mbappé exclaimed after being named MVP in Vila-real. Ronaldo Nazário hit 30 goals in his first Madrid season, Cristiano 33. “They’re just numbers. Scoring more than them doesn’t make me better,” Mbappé insisted.

But the numbers don’t lie – he is rewriting history.

Mbappé vs the Ronaldos

Mbappé now has his sights set on Cristiano Ronaldo, the player whose posters once covered his childhood bedroom walls. The Madeira-born icon scored 33 goals in his debut Madrid season, and Mbappé is already at 31. However, Cristiano hit his tally in just 35 games (injuries limited his appearances), while Mbappé has needed 44 matches.

The averages favor Cristiano – one goal every 88.3 minutes (0.94 per game), compared to Mbappé’s one every 118.6 minutes (0.7 per game). But when it comes to total numbers, Mbappé is keeping pace, despite hitting rock bottom in Bilbao. “I hit my lowest point,” he admitted.

Cristiano’s all-time Madrid record – 61 goals in 2014-15 – is untouchable… for now. But Mbappé is already in elite company.

Next target: Bam Bam

Ancelotti calls it an “absurd calendar.” Madrid still have a maximum of 24 games left (10 in LaLiga, two in the Copa del Rey, five in the Champions League, and seven in the Club World Cup) or a minimum of 16 if things go south. At his current scoring rate, Mbappé is on track to finish with between 42 and 47 goals.

The best-ever debut season for a Madrid striker belongs to Iván Zamorano, who hit 37 goals in 1992-93. Mbappé is just six away from matching the legendary Bam Bam. Here’s a little reminder.

Pichichi battle: Lewandowski in his sights

The Pichichi race is heating up. Robert Lewandowski still leads with 22 goals after scoring against Atlético Madrid – and he has a game in hand against Osasuna. Mbappé, now at 20, has closed the gap significantly.

After Matchday 11, the gap was eight goals (Lewy had 14, Mbappé just 6). Now, 17 games later, it’s a two-goal difference. The hunt is on.

Catching up with the world’s best scorers

The goal race goes beyond Spain. Lewandowski (35 goals) leads the way across Europe’s top five leagues, but Mbappé – now tied with Harry Kane at 31 – has surged up the rankings. His 2025 form has been extraordinary.

On December 31, he was five goals behind Kane and nine behind Lewandowski. Since then, he has scored 17 goals – only trailing one player worldwide: Ousmane Dembélé (19 goals in 14 matches!).

‘Captain Kylian’ returns for Les Bleus

Mbappé is back with France – razor-sharp and 192 days after his last international appearance. His last game in blue was September 9 against Belgium. Since then, he missed two international breaks:

• October (amid the ‘Stockholm case’ controversy and a minor injury).
• November, with no official injury – and no explanation. 

Didier Deschamps claimed the latter was a mutual decision, but Mbappé left room for doubt in a December interview:

“If the coach wants to explain why, ask him. I won’t. My commitment to the national team is unwavering. I’ll be there in March.”

And so he is. Whether there’s lingering tension remains open to interpretation, but what’s clear is that Mbappé is back. And he will make his presence felt when Les Bleus take on Croatia in a decisive doubleheader (Thursday, March 20, in Split, and Sunday, March 23, in Saint-Denis). The winner advances to the Nations League Final Four.

Mbappé has two battles to fight: one on the field, and one in front of the cameras. Some in France argue that he has neglected his media duties as captain – but this time, there will be no silence.

It’s another chance to pad his numbers – 48 goals in 86 international caps – as he continues his chase of Olivier Giroud’s all-time French scoring record (57 goals). With Thierry Henry at 51, Mbappé has legends on his radar – both in Madrid and in France.

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