Kylian Mbappe reaches 2025 milestone only Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema ever touched: Star breaks into Real Madrid’s most exclusive goalscoring circle
Kylian Mbappe’s arrival at Real Madrid was always going to be measured against impossible standards. At a club where Cristiano Ronaldo redefined scoring, and Karim Benzema authored one of the most iconic late-career peaks in modern soccer, numbers alone are never enough. Context, efficiency, and historical weight matter just as much. And yet, midway through the 2025-26 season, Mbappe has already forced his way into a conversation reserved for only the most elite finishers to ever wear white.
Mentioning those three stars in the same breath is nothing new. What is new is how quickly Mbappe has begun to mirror — and in some ways rival — the statistical dominance once considered untouchable at Real Madrid. This is not about hype or reputation. It is about cold, unforgiving production at a club where every goal is judged against history.
The Frenchman moved to the Bernabeu as a free agent with the weight of expectation already immense. But instead of easing into his role, the French forward exploded into the 2025-26 campaign with ruthless intent. Across all competitions, he has already scored 29 goals in just 24 matches, a return that places him among Europe’s most lethal finishers.
What makes this output truly striking is not just volume, but efficiency. Mbappe is currently averaging 1.24 goals per 90 minutes across all competitions this season. In Madrid, that number is sacred territory — the kind usually associated with one man.
The list revealed
He has officially entered the list of Real Madrid players with the highest goals-per-game ratio for a single season this century — a list almost entirely owned by Cristiano Ronaldo, with Karim Benzema as the only other name to break through.
The numbers tell a powerful story. Ronaldo dominates this ranking, occupying eight of the top ten seasons. Benzema’s presence comes from his Ballon d’Or-winning campaign, built on clutch moments and leadership. Mbappe, astonishingly, has inserted himself directly between them.
Why Mbappe’s inclusion is historic
This list is not about total goals. It is about relentless efficiency. Goals per 90 minutes eliminate context: substitutions, game state, fixture congestion. What remains is pure impact.
Mbappe’s entry means that he is scoring at a rate comparable to peak Cristiano Ronaldo. The 26-year-old has also adapted instantly to the club’s tactical and psychological demands, and is thus delivering across all competitions, not just domestic play. Few players in modern soccer have combined pace, movement, and finishing with such consistency under Madrid’s unique pressure.
Despite Mbappe’s remarkable numbers, the list still underlines one inescapable truth: Cristiano Ronaldo defined modern goalscoring at Real Madrid. From 2009 to 2018, the Portuguese posted season after season above one goal per 90 minutes — a level of sustained excellence that remains unmatched. His 2014-15 campaign, still narrowly ahead of Mbappe’s current rate, represents the absolute ceiling of scoring efficiency at the club. The France captain is not replacing that legacy. He is operating in its shadow — and, remarkably, holding his ground.