Only Cristiano Ronaldo is Kylian Mbappe's Limit

There is always room for Kylian Mbappe to admire the achievements of his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo. Although he has surpassed Ronaldo in terms of trophy collection, Mbappe has yet to break Ronaldo's record for the most goals scored in a calendar year.

One needs a reason to continue admiring their idol. For Mbappe, whose achievements are nearly on par with Ronaldo, the gap between him and his idol continues to narrow each year. The significant accomplishments that Ronaldo has enjoyed, such as winning domestic leagues and the European Cup, have also been experienced by Mbappe.

One of the many distinguishing factors between those who have been widely discussed recently is the goal productivity over the course of a year. Ronaldo achieved a phenomenal record that may be difficult for any Real Madrid player to match, scoring 59 goals throughout 2013.

That record was nearly broken by Mbappe in 2025. Before the match against Sevilla at the Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday (21/12/2025) early morning WIB, Mbappe had already scored 58 goals throughout 2025. This means that if he manages to score at least two goals against Sevilla, Mbappe will officially surpass that record of his idol.

No matter how much Mbappe is praised for his brilliance in scoring goals, he ultimately understands the significance of Ronaldo's resilience. Real managed to overcome Sevilla's challenge with a 2-0 advantage. However, in that match, Mbappe was only able to score one goal, and that was from the penalty spot. After scoring, Mbappe celebrated with the "siu" gesture, which has become an icon of Ronaldo.

Sevilla is Real's final opponent in 2025. Thus, Mbappe's chance to surpass Ronaldo is no longer available. Although he failed to exceed Ronaldo's achievements, at the very least, Mbappe has proven that he deserves to stand alongside the megastar.

"Today I matched the record of my idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, the greatest player in the history of this club. My celebration is dedicated to him; he is my friend and my hero," said Mbappe as quoted from the Real website.

If Ronaldo is a fragment of the long story of Real's glory, Mbappe is just beginning to build his era. He has become the player most needed by coach Xabi Alonso since taking charge of the team this season. Real seems unable to achieve victory without the goals scored by Mbappe.

By scoring a goal against Sevilla, it means that Mbappe has now netted three consecutive goals in Real's last three matches. He seems to have transformed into the focal point of Real's gameplay. However, it cannot be denied that the phenomenon of Mbappe has raised concerns among Real fans. They believe that Real is becoming too dependent on a single figure rather than on collective play.

This tendency was evident at one moment during the match against Sevilla when Arda Guler had two options, to pass to Mbappe or Rodrygo. Mbappe's position was slightly disadvantageous as he had only a narrow shooting angle, unlike Rodrygo who had more space.

Consciously, Guler chose to pass the ball to Mbappe. The outcome was predictable; the opportunity failed to result in a goal because the Sevilla defender was quick to close down Mbappe's shooting space. Rodrygo, who had a greater chance of scoring, could only grumble in frustration at Guler's decision.

This is what is most concerning when a team has such a prolific striker. On one hand, it promises victory. At the same time, their movements can very likely be anticipated by the opponents quite effectively.

It is a good thing for a team to have a predator like Mbappe. However, it can backfire if Mbappe receives a card penalty or gets injured. Mbappe's collection of goals this season is extensive alongside his teammates. He has become the top scorer for Real with a total of 18 goals this season. This number is significantly higher than Vinicius Junior in second place, who has only scored five goals.

Nevertheless, Mbappe's sharpness is necessary and should be appreciated. At the very least, when he plays, Real's need for goals is fulfilled. Alonso's task is to bridge the gap in goals between Mbappe and his teammates so that their gameplay can become more vibrant as a team.

"Scoring 59 goals is not an easy feat. He (Mbappe) has quality and talent. It is difficult to stop him in training. Hopefully, 2026 will bring a trophy, but for that, we must elevate our level," said Real goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.

Most people consider the sky as the limit of all forms of achievement. The story is different for Mbappe. For him, it is not the sky, but rather Ronaldo who is the limit he still needs to surpass. Although he has already won the World Cup, Ronaldo has other achievements that Mbappe has yet to experience, namely the UEFA Champions League.

With his sharpness, Mbappe certainly harbors the desire to win the Champions League for the first time. That was also his main goal in joining Real last season.