Kylian Mbappe Shatters 65-Year La Liga Record, Leaving Ronaldo in the Shadows—What’s Next?

There’s nothing quite like witnessing a star blazing so brightly it outshines even the giants who came before. This past Saturday, Real Madrid didn’t just win; they absolutely steamrolled Valencia 4-0, solidifying their grip at the summit of La Liga. And who was center stage? None other than Kylian Mbappe, whose two-goal explosion wasn’t just a show of dominance—it marked the moment he eclipsed one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s legendary records. Imagine that—surpassing CR7’s early tally at the Bernabeu, a feat that spells out not just skill but a herald of an extraordinary legacy unfolding. With a mere 31 minutes needed to net twice, including a cool penalty and a finish set up by Arda Guler’s assist, Mbappe is redefining what it means to be a phenom in today’s game. What’s more, his 44 goals in 45 La Liga appearances link him to Real Madrid greats and shake the history books in real time. It’s a thrilling narrative, a twist of history, record-breaking, and pure genius worth savoring. LEARN MORE

On Saturday, Real Madrid earned a dominant 4–0 win over Valencia that kept them firmly atop the La Liga standings. Kylian Mbappe was key to that result with a brace, allowing him to surpass one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s records.

The French forward needed just 31 minutes to score twice at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. He opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 19th minute, then doubled Los Blancos’ lead with a composed finish after an assist from Arda Guler.

With those two goals, Mbappe reached an impressive mark of 44 goals in his first 45 La Liga appearances. He achieved that total thanks to his outstanding 2024–25 debut season with Real Madrid, when he scored 31 goals in 34 league matches. And the start of the current campaign has been even more impressive: 13 goals in 11 games.

With that performance, Kylian has now surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s early numbers at Real Madrid. Fifteen years ago, after arriving from Manchester United in 2009, CR7 tallied 43 goals in his first 45 league matches for the club. That was the beginning of a remarkable journey that saw the Portuguese star become Real Madrid’s all-time leading scorer, with 450 goals.

Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskas scored 44 goals in his first 44 La Liga matches.

Mbappe’s record not seen in 65 years

The scale of Kylian Mbappe’s numbers in his first two seasons with Real Madrid becomes clear when compared to some of the most remarkable goal-scoring runs in Spanish soccer history.

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To find the last time a La Liga newcomer posted similar numbers in domestic play, you have to go back 65 years. The precedent belongs to a true legend of world soccer, Ferenc Puskas, who scored 44 goals in his first 44 appearances after joining Real Madrid — meaning he needed one fewer match than Mbappe to reach the same total.

Eventually, the Hungarian forward became a Real Madrid superstar, playing for the club from 1958 to 1966. Over those eight seasons, Puskas scored 242 goals in 262 matches. His impact as a goal scorer was so great that FIFA still honors him today with the annual Puskas Award, given to the best goal of each season.

Mbappe leads Spain and Europe

After winning the Golden Boot as Europe’s top scorer across all major leagues in the 2024–25 season, Kylian Mbappe has only improved his incredible form during the current campaign.

Saturday’s two goals against Valencia strengthened the French forward’s position as La Liga’s leading scorer, with 13 goals — six more than his closest competitor, Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez. But his dominance extends beyond Spain: across Europe, Mbappe also stands out as one of the top scorers in the UEFA Champions League, where he leads the charts with five goals, tied with Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane.