French superstar Kylian Mbappe said it was an honor to equal his idol Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 59 Real Madrid goals in a calendar year on Saturday.
Mbappe scored an 86th-minute penalty against Sevilla in La Liga on his 27th birthday to equal Ronaldo’s club record from 2013 and give his side a 2-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu.
«It’s a special day because it’s my birthday. I’ve always said it would be a dream to play a match for Real Madrid, the club of my dreams, on my birthday,» Mbappe said. Real Madrid television.
“The objective was to end the year with a positive result and the record is incredible.
«To do like Cristiano, my idol, the best player in the history of Real Madrid and a world great, it is an honor for me.»
Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid side have struggled this season, but Mbappe has been the key player, scoring 29 goals in 24 games in all competitions.
The striker won the European Golden Shoe and the La Liga top scorer award last season and is again leading the Spanish rankings in the current season with 18 goals.
Mbappe has admitted that he had posters of Portuguese icon Ronaldo on his bedroom wall as a child and that it was a dream to sign for Madrid when he joined from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024.
The forward celebrated his goal against Sevilla by imitating Ronaldo’s signature jumping ‘Siu’ celebration.
«It’s an honor for me. I wanted to give him a nod because he has always been nice to me. He always spoke well to me about Madrid, how to adapt to Madrid and all that,» Mbappé continued.
“Now I’m happy that I can score goals for Real Madrid and that I can win the games… (the party) was for him.
«Normally I have mine, but today I wanted to share it with him. As a child he was my idol, I have a very good relationship with him, now he is a friend.»
Portugal international Ronaldo scored 450 goals in 438 games, making Real Madrid all-time top scorer, while Mbappe now has 73 in 83 games.
Published on December 21, 2025
