Kylian Mbappe’s match-winning goal for Real Madrid at Getafe on Sunday bore all the hallmarks of Cristiano Ronaldo in his pomp.
The Frenchman’s superb effort resulted in him becoming the first Madrid player to score 10+ goals in nine La Liga games since Ronaldo (2014/15).
The goal also increased the belief that Mbappe is gradually morphing into the replacement for Ronaldo he was touted to be when he first joined the club.
Mbappe eyeing Ronaldo’s stunning record
Mbappe has scored 15 goals in just 11 appearances
across all competitions this term, numbers which undoubtedly place him in Ronaldo territory.
Before the Juventus match, he scored in 11 consecutive games. One more goal would’ve tied Ronaldo’s record of 12 straight across all competitions. This would’ve been a stellar achievement — but it’s still impressive.
Intriguingly, while Mbappe has already passed the 50-goal mark for Madrid, he does not think he is on the same level as the Portuguese superstar.
Ronaldo scored 450 goals for Madrid across nine seasons, winning 16 trophies before departing in 2018 with four Champions League titles under his belt.
Having failed to help Madrid win silverware in his first season with the club, Mbappe believes he has work to do before he can be compared to Ronaldo.
“Cristiano has always been a role model for me,” Mbappe told Movistar. “I’m lucky enough to talk to him – he gives me advice, he’s helped me. I think in Madrid he’s still the number one.
“He’s the reference point for Real Madrid players, who’s done a lot. The fans still dream about Cristiano. But I want to follow my own path.”
Trophies will define Mbappe’s career at Madrid
Although Ronaldo’s tally of trophies is a tough act to follow, it will inevitably be the yardstick by which Mbappe’s career in Madrid is ultimately judged.
The Portuguese striker was spurred to greater heights by his rivalry with Barcelona icon Lionel Messi, and a similar element is in play where Mbappe is concerned.
Harry Kane and Erling Braut Haaland are also scoring at better than a goal-per-game rate this season. Their respective exploits seem to be inspiring the trio to new levels of goalscoring output.
Kane scored his 22nd goal of the season to put Bayern Munich on course for a 2-1 home victory against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
The England captain has notched incredible numbers since swapping his homeland for Bayern in 2023, although it took until his second season to end his long wait to win a trophy.
The 32-year-old has bagged 104 goals in 107 games for the Bundesliga giants, including 19 in 11 at club level this season.
While age will eventually catch up with the former Tottenham Hotspur star, he will be a thorn in the side for other elite-level strikers over the next two or three years.
Haaland rivalry could be one for the ages
Although Kane unquestionably deserves plenty of respect, Manchester City striker Erling Braut Haaland is Mbappe’s primary long-term rival in the goalscoring stakes.
He has scored 23 goals in 13 appearances to fire Man City into contention for the Premier League title and Norway onto the brink of qualification for the World Cup.
Haaland has also scored in each of his last 11 matches in all competitions, setting up an intriguing sub-plot in Mbappe’s bid to equal Ronaldo’s record.
He now boasts the three quickest occasions any Premier League player has reached 10 goals in a season. Haaland achieved the feat in six matches in 2022 and five games last season.
Having extended his contract with Man City until 2034, it seems unlikely that fans will be treated to a direct head-to-head between Haaland and Mbappe in La Liga.
However, their cross-continental goalscoring battle could ultimately generate the same buzz Ronaldo and Messi generated during their heyday with Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.
While Haaland has already won silverware with Man City, Mbappe needs to get the ball rolling by helping Madrid lift at least one major trophy this season.
His sparkling effort against Getafe was a microcosm of what Madrid thought they were acquiring when they persuaded him to leave Paris Saint-Germain.
Matching what Ronaldo achieved over a sustained period is probably too much to ask, but the Frenchman has the ability to become a similarly talismanic figure.
‘I want to follow my own path’ is a sensible mantra to adopt for a player who seems destined to achieve great things with Madrid over the next few years.
