Real Madrid: Why Kylian Mbappe cannot break Cristiano Ronaldo scoring record after historic Sevilla goal

Real Madrid hotshot Kylian Mbappe equalled an astonishing Cristiano Ronaldo record during Los Blancos' 2-0 win over Sevilla in Saturday's La Liga clash, but he will not break it for a while.

The France international has been making his case for next year's Ballon d'Or during a phenomenal start to the 2025-26 season, which continued during the visit of Los Palanganas on December 20.

Xabi Alonso's men went into the half-time break with a one-goal advantage thanks to Jude Bellingham's goal, before Mbappe stepped up to the penalty spot to double Los Blancos' lead towards the end.

The 27-year-old has now managed 18 goals in as many games during the current La Liga season, bringing his total for the campaign in all competitions to 29 strikes in 24 matches, as well as five assists.

But more importantly, Mbappe's effort against Sevilla saw the former Paris Saint-Germain striker draw level with the legendary Ronaldo, equalling the Portuguese's record for the most Real Madrid goals in a single calendar year.

Mbappe has struck 59 times in the famous white jersey during 2025, the same number that Ronaldo managed in 2013 for the Spanish giants, but the Frenchman will not have the chance to hit 60 this time around.

Why Kylian Mbappe will not break Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid record

While the Premier League is continuing at full throttle over the Christmas period, La Liga is about to go on hiatus, and Real Madrid will not be back in action for a couple of weeks.

Los Blancos' next match comes at home to Real Betis on January 4, meaning that Mbappe has played his final game of 2025 and will therefore not be able to break Ronaldo's single-year record just yet.

However, the 27-year-old will no doubt be aiming for the unprecedented 60 in 2026, or failing that, every year he is at the Bernabeu, where he is currently under contract until 2029.

Mbappe paid homage to Ronaldo on Saturday with the Portuguese's trademark 'siu' celebration, and he explained his decision to briefly abandon his own pose in the two-goal victory.

"Cristiano helped me adapt to Real Madrid," Fabrizio Romano quotes Mbappe as saying. "We talked a lot. It was nice. I have my own celebration, but I wanted to dedicate this to him."

Can Kylian Mbappe overtake Cristiano Ronaldo as Real Madrid's all-time leading scorer?

With his solitary goal on Saturday night, Mbappe has now bagged 73 strikes in just 83 games for Los Blancos in all competitions, an average of 0.88 goals per match.

Meanwhile, five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo achieved his unrivalled 450 goals in 438 matches for Real Madrid, scoring an average of 1.03 per match to seemingly cement his name at the top of the tree forever.

At his current scoring rate, Mbappe would need to play 512 matches for Real Madrid to equal Ronaldo's record, which would take him just over 10 seasons if the Frenchman makes around 50 appearances in each campaign.

The 27-year-old would be in his mid-30s by the time he finishes his potential 10th season at Real Madrid - the 2033-34 campaign - and his remarkable output and generational talent makes it easy to envisage him still being at the top of his game in nine years' time.

However, injuries and early competition eliminations could all hinder Mbappe's attempt to overtake Ronaldo, whose all-time record is surely safe.