How Kylian Mbappe Compares to Cristiano Ronaldo After 100 Real Madrid Goal Contributions

“I don’t like comparing players,” José Mourinho insisted, “but this guy is incredible.”

Real Madrid’s returning manager has been treated to a dizzying breadth of attacking talent across his two decades in the sport. The likes of Frank Lampard, Wesley Sneijder, Kaká and a certain Cristiano Ronaldo have all played under the demanding Portuguese coach. Yet, few have earned the rivers of praise in which he has washed Kylian Mbappé.

“He’s made that history,” Mourinho gushed of the World Cup’s all-time top scorer this week, “but I see him with a lot of hunger to make history with Real Madrid.” No one has made more history in the Spanish capital than Ronaldo, who stands as the perennial point of comparison for Mbappé.

Despite all Mourinho’s adulation, Ronaldo still has the edge over the kid who grew up idolizing him.

How Mbappe Compares to Cristiano Ronaldo

Mbappé’s hat-trick against Real Sociedad on Wednesday took him up to the magical number of 100 combined goals and assists for Real Madrid. It only took the 27-year-old 105 appearances in a little over two seasons in Spain to hit a century of goal contributions. In any other setting, that would represent a remarkable return. Yet, it pales in comparison to Ronaldo.

The most expensive player of all time in 2009 was more of a dual threat than Mbappé during his early years in Madrid. Ronaldo needed just 86 appearances to crack triple digits, amassing 79 goals and 21 assists. Mbappé, by comparison, has only teed up 11 goals for Madrid.

Statistic at 100 G/A	Kylian Mbappé	Cristiano Ronaldo
Appearances	105	86
Minutes	8,545	7,258
Goals	89	79
Penalties	19	12
Assists	11	21

That perception of single-mindedness has dogged Mbappé throughout his Madrid tenure. Fellow French World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit blamed his compatriot’s arrival for “filling the Real Madrid dressing room with selfishness” at the end of last season. “It’s a fiasco,” he huffed.

Ronaldo was hardly upheld as a shining example of selflessness, but it’s important to note that he was more of a winger at this point in his career. It wasn’t until his final few seasons in Madrid that the relentless record-chaser pivoted toward more of a central role in search of little else than goals. Mbappé appears to have gone through that transformation already, thanks in no small part to the presence of Vinícius Júnior blocking his path out wide.

Mbappe’s Retort to His Critics

Kylian Mbappé stole the show for Real Madrid. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

Mbappé drew a blank in the first competitive game of Madrid’s new season against Espanyol last weekend, inspiring a familiar torrent of condemnation for a player who has failed to win a single major trophy for the club despite averaging a goal or an assist every 85 minutes.

After racking up three goals in Wednesday’s 4–1 win, Mbappé had the leverage to fire back on social media: “Not content? Hat-trick...”

Those three goals against a side which finished 10th last season is little to ease concerns from many that Mbappé pads his record against so-called lesser sides while wilting on the biggest stages. Mourinho certainly doesn’t subscribe to that theory.

Jose Mourinho Has a New Favorite

José Mourinho is still working to bolster his squad. | Denis Doyle/Getty Images

“Kylian is an absolutely incredible player,” Mourinho beamed. When quizzed on whether his center forward could match Harry Kane’s benchmark of 60 goals in a season, the Madrid boss shot back: “I prefer 40 with titles than 60 without titles. I prefer 40 with a lot of work for the team than 60 just playing for himself, as often happens with forwards.

“I’m very happy with him. From a technical standpoint, there’s obviously nothing to say, but in terms of helping the group grow, taking responsibility, working ... He arrived two days early, and two days early in that preseason period can mean something positive. I left him on the field for the full ninety minutes, hoping he might score four goals.”

Mourinho even made the bold claim that Mbappé’s individual scoring record this summer was better than Spain’s collective triumph: “I’m really happy that he made history in the World Cup because there are 25 world champion players, but only one is eternal in football: the player who has the most goals in the World Cup.”

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