Mbappé vs. Ronaldo: Who Had the Better 59-Goal Year at Real Madrid?

Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo: 59 goals each. It’s a monumental feat attained by two Galacticos of their respective eras. When Mbappé scored in Real Madrid’s final competitive fixture of 2025, he reached a total of 59 club goals in a calendar year, equalling a record set by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013.

The total number might be identical, but the distribution of goals, competitions involved, and squad environments differed. When looked at through a contextual lens, who had the better 59-goal year?

Cristiano Ronaldo: The Benchmark

Cristiano Ronaldo scored 59 goals in all competitions for Real Madrid between January 1 and December 31, 2013, the most ever by a player for the club in a single year. In doing so, he established a record that stood for 12 years. The achievement spanned two different seasons: the second half of 2012/13 and the first half of 2013/14. The tally was accumulated across 50 official appearances, resulting in a scoring rate of 1.18 goals per game.

The goals came across all major competitions, including La Liga, the UEFA Champions League and the Copa del Rey. Friendly matches were excluded from the count.

Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013:

• La Liga: 33 games, 38 goals.
• Champions League: 11 games, 15 goals.
• Copa del Rey: 6 games, 6 goals.

Trophy wise, Ronaldo only ended up winning the Copa del Rey final in May. For the first half of the year, Ronaldo was managed by José Mourinho. Following the failure to win the league during Barcelona’s 100 point season and a Champions League elimination, Mourinho was replaced and Ronaldo played the remainder of the year under Carlo Ancelotti.

Ronaldo was surrounded by the second Galáctico generation, playing alongside Karim Benzema, Mesut Özil (until September 2013), Ángel Di María, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos.

Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo went on to win the 2013 Ballon d’Or.

Kylian Mbappé: Following The Footsteps

Mbappé completed same tally in Real Madrid’s final competitive fixture of the year, converting a penalty in the 86th minute to tie the club record. Notably, he performed Ronaldo’s iconic “SI” celebration.

While Ronaldo reached the mark in just 50 matches, Mbappe did so in 58 games. He scored 11 braces, four hat tricks and had one four goal haul. He scored 29 goals in the first half of the year, and 29 in the latter part. This season, Mbappé leads La Liga with 18 goals and the Champions League with nine.

Kylian Mbappe in 2025:

• La Liga: 39 goals in 37 games
• Champions League: 14 goals in 13 games
• Copa del Rey: 4 goals in 5 games
• Supercopa de España: 1 goal in 2 games
• UEFA Super Cup: 1 goal in 1 game.

For his exploits, Mbappé was awarded both the La Liga Golden Boot and the European Golden Boot. He helped Real Madrid remain competitive at the top of the league standings against Barcelona but couldn’t win. Because the Ballon d’Or voting criteria has shifted from calendar year to seasonal evaluation, Mbappé could not replicate Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or achievement. Mbappé also ended the calendar year without a trophy, unlike Ronaldo, who at least lifted the Copa del Rey.

“The record is incredible. It’s my first year doing something like Cristiano, my idol, the best player in the history of Real Madrid and a reference point in world [soccer]. It’s an honour for me. I wanted to give him a nod because he’s always been very affectionate towards me. He’s always spoken very highly of Madrid and how to adapt. I’m very happy to score goals for Real Madrid and to win the match.”

Kylian Mbappe (source: realmadrid.com)

Scoring 50 or more goals in a calendar year is an achievement reached by only a small number of players in soccer history. Lionel Messi’s 91 goals in 2012 remain the all time record, while calendar year totals above 60 have been achieved only sporadically.

Mbappé vs. Ronaldo: Who Was Better?

When you place Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo side by side, the two seasons are not drastically different. Cristiano was 28 years old, Mbappé is 27, and both reached these numbers at the peak of their powers. Both exploits were largely individual, as neither season resulted in collective dominance. Only one trophy was won across the two calendar years, claimed by Ronaldo.

Carlo Ancelotti managed half of each year. He coached the latter part of 2013 for Ronaldo and the opening part of 2025 for Mbappé. Ronaldo received his second Ballon d’Or. Mbappé collected the European Golden Boot. His compatriot Ousmane Dembélé claimed the Ballon d’Or, while Raphinha won La Liga Player of the Season.

If there is one positive, it is what happens after. Ronaldo’s second half of 2013 laid the foundations for Real Madrid’s modern dominance. The club went on to win their tenth Champions League title and their first since 2002, along with the Copa del Rey, narrowly missing out on La Liga by three points.

If Mbappé’s heroics trigger a similar era of dominance, then his 59 goal year may yet be remembered as the beginning of something far greater.

Two legends. Two iconic forwards. The only two players to hit 59 goals in a calendar year for Real Madrid. Cristiano’s run marked the beginning of Los Blancos’ modern dynasty. Will Mbappe’s too?