Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo both made explosive starts to their Real Madrid careers, quickly hitting the 40-goal mark. While Mbappe surpassed Ronaldo’s debut season goal tally, Ronaldo reached the 40-goal milestone in fewer matches. This underlines the Portuguese star’s remarkable scoring efficiency during his early tenure at the club.
Table of Contents
French Sensation Shatters Records in Stunning Debut Season
Kylian Mbappe’s equalizer in a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Mallorca not only postponed Barcelona’s LaLiga title celebrations but also marked his 40th goal in his debut season for Real Madrid. The French forward has made an immediate impact, setting a new club record for most goals in a debut season—eclipsing the previous milestone with a stunning hat-trick in a 4-3 El Clásico defeat to Barcelona.
Despite his individual brilliance, Mbappe’s debut campaign remains trophyless—a fate shared by Cristiano Ronaldo during his early years in Madrid. Ronaldo, who joined the club as a Champions League and Ballon d’Or winner, averaged over a goal per game across his nine-season tenure, winning four Champions League titles and becoming Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer.
Mbappe, a World Cup winner who narrowly missed a second in 2022, now chases the high standards set by Ronaldo. Statistically, Ronaldo reached the 40-goal mark in just 46 matches, while Mbappe needed 54 games. Although Mbappe has surpassed Ronaldo’s debut season goal tally, the Portuguese icon’s superior efficiency highlights the benchmark the Frenchman must meet.
Carlo Ancelotti now faces the challenge of building a title-winning squad around Mbappe’s explosive talent.
Kylian Mbappe vs Cristiano Ronaldo: Who reached 40 goals quicker for Real Madrid?
Mbappe
- Games: 54
- Goals: 40
- Penalties: 7
- Free-Kicks: 1
- Assists: 5
- Minutes per goal: 111
- Minutes per non-penalty goal: 134
- Minutes per goal or assist: 98
Ronaldo
- Games: 46
- Goals: 43
- Penalties: 7
- Free-Kicks: 7
- Assists: 14
- Minutes per goal: 90
- Minutes per non-penalty goal: 108
- Minutes per goal or assist: 68
