The France international reached 40 goals in 42 La Liga appearances for Real Madrid, mirroring the record set by his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, during his initial tenure at the club.
Kylian Mbappe arrived at Real Madrid with the ambition to define an era and the aspiration of a player who once dreamed of emulating Cristiano Ronaldo. While a full career comparison remains premature, a striking parallel can be drawn after both reached 40 goals in La Liga. Mbappe achieved this milestone in his 42nd La Liga match for the ‘Merengue’ club, matching the Portuguese star’s record over the same period.
With his goal against Villarreal, Mbappe reached the 40-goal mark in La Liga in just 42 matches since his arrival at the Spanish team in the 2024-25 season. No other player has scored as many times in the domestic league during this period. Behind him are Robert Lewandowski (31), Julian Alvarez (23), and Ante Budimir (23).
The Frenchman has significantly accelerated his scoring pace this season. Mbappe has scored in seven of the eight matchdays already played in La Liga 2025-26. These include one against Osasuna, two against Real Oviedo, one against Real Sociedad, one against Espanyol, two against Levante, one against Atlético, and another against Villarreal. He was only held scoreless against Mallorca, a match where two of his goals were disallowed.
In Cristiano Ronaldo’s case, the Portuguese also enjoyed a prolific start to his second La Liga season. From matchday six to nine, he netted ten goals: two against Depor, two against Malaga, four against Racing, and two against Hércules. Notably, Ronaldo’s initial 42 La Liga appearances saw Real Madrid suffer fewer defeats (four) during that period, with only Barcelona (three times) and Athletic Bilbao securing victories against them.
