With the season approaching a short break, Kylian Mbappé is closing in on one of the most celebrated scoring records in Real Madrid history. The French forward is just three goals shy of matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally of 59 goals in a single calendar year for the club, a benchmark Ronaldo set in 2013.
While calendar-year achievements don’t come with trophies, they remain significant in football. Breaks in the schedule often prompt reflection on league titles, Champions League victories, Golden Boots, and the personal records that define an era, while also motivating players chasing history before the year ends.
Two opportunities for Mbappé to equal Ronaldo
This milestone is now a major motivator for Mbappé. With 56 goals scored in 2025, he has two remaining chances to close in on Ronaldo: an away game against Talavera in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday and a home match versus Sevilla at the Bernabéu on Sunday. A hat-trick in either match would see him draw level with his idol.
Mbappé’s tally increased with his recent goal against Alavés at Mendizorroza, putting Ronaldo’s 2013 record well within reach. To maximize his chance, he would need playing time in the Copa del Rey fixture at Talavera, where he featured last season for 27 minutes off the bench in the round of 32 against Deportiva Minera.
If that opportunity doesn’t arise, the Sevilla match at the Bernabéu will be decisive. Expecting a scoring outburst from Mbappé is far from unrealistic: in 2025 alone, he has already achieved four hat-tricks—against Valladolid, Manchester City, Barcelona, and Kairat Almaty—as well as a four-goal performance against Olympiacos. Sevilla have also previously felt his impact, conceding to him in both encounters last season.
A late-season surge that defined 2025
Matching or surpassing Ronaldo would be a fitting highlight for a remarkable year. Mbappé finished the previous LaLiga season strongly, scoring nine goals in the final five matchdays, including a hat-trick in El Clasico at Montjuic. This performance secured him both the Pichichi trophy and the European Golden Boot, despite stiff competition from Robert Lewandowski and Viktor Gyökeres.
This achievement would also cement his first full calendar year at Real Madrid in the club’s modern history.
Mbappé driving Madrid’s attack
The latter half of 2025 has been equally impressive. Nearly two-thirds of Real Madrid’s goals this season have involved Mbappé, either as scorer or provider. So far, he has contributed 26 goals and four assists in the team’s 47 goals.
At this rate, Mbappé is projected to finish the season with 66 goals, surpassing Ronaldo’s 61-goal haul from the 2014-15 season.
International form mirrors club brilliance
Mbappé’s club performance is complemented by his form for France. He has scored seven goals in his last six appearances for Les Bleus and, in 2025, became the national team’s second all-time leading scorer. His 55 international goals put him just two behind Olivier Giroud’s record.
Although that total won’t change before year-end, his Real Madrid record remains open. With matches against Talavera and Sevilla still ahead, history is within reach—just one hat-trick separates Kylian Mbappé from Cristiano Ronaldo’s legendary mark.