Cristiano Ronaldo sets toughest challenge yet for Mbappé at Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo averaged 53 goals per season from his second year at Madrid, dipping below 50 only twice. Mbappé, while prolific, has only hit those numbers three times in his career. He’s viewed as CR7’s heir at Real Madrid, both on the field and as a commercial icon.

Kylian Mbappé follows Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps. Just like the Portuguese star, the French forward has changed his jersey number just 12 months after officially joining Real Madrid. After surpassing the stats of his childhood idol in his first season with Los Blancos, Mbappé now faces the real challenge—matching CR7’s sustained dominance at the Santiago Bernabéu.

In his debut season, Mbappé recorded the best numbers ever for a Real Madrid newcomer, scoring 44 goals—11 more than Ronaldo managed between summer 2009 and 2010. The challenge now? Understanding that starting in his 13th month in Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo became an unstoppable scoring machine—setting a benchmark that no one has come close to matching in the Spanish capital.

In terms of individual stats alone, Ronaldo averaged 53 official goals per season starting from his second year at Real Madrid. He only dipped below 50 goals twice—scoring 42 in 2017 and 44 by summer 2018. Mbappé has only matched or surpassed those numbers in three seasons throughout his career.

Seeing Mbappé score 42 or more goals in a single season is rare. Despite his incredible scoring average, he only hit those numbers with Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and 2024, and in his debut year in Spain. Now seen as Cristiano’s natural heir both athletically and commercially, Kylian enters a phase at Real Madrid where expectations are higher than ever. After a trophyless season for the club, he knows it’s time to step up. The real challenge at the Bernabéu starts now.

“When the time comes, I’ll enjoy watching you play,” were Cristiano Ronaldo’s words to Mbappé when his transfer became official. So far, the Frenchman has surpassed CR7 in terms of titles won in their debut seasons. In Ronaldo’s second year, he lifted the Copa del Rey after defeating Barcelona. Now wearing the iconic number 10, Kylian is preparing for the biggest comparisons yet—with the greatest goal scorer the game has ever seen.

How close is CR7 to 1,000 official goals?

Cristiano Ronaldo has 938 career goals—138 with Portugal and 800 combined for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr. He’s just 62 goals away from hitting the mythical 1,000 mark—possibly the final major milestone of his legendary career.

His contract renewal in Saudi Arabia points toward that goal. Up next? The Saudi Super Cup, where Al-Nassr will face off against Al-Ittihad, led by Karim Benzema. Ronaldo has yet to win an official title with Al-Nassr, other than the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. A new challenge awaits.