Kylian Mbappé joins elite 2020s goalscoring club with Robert Lewandowski after standout Real Madrid form

Kylian Mbappé’s arrival at Real Madrid has exceeded even the highest expectations, becoming the team’s top scorer in no time. His prolific run has now pushed the French star into an exclusive goalscoring club for the 2020s, one previously reached only by Robert Lewandowski.

After winning the Golden Boot in the 2024–25 season, Mbappé remains firmly in the race to defend the award, battling Erling Haaland for the top scorer title across Europe’s major leagues. Still, only the Frenchman and the Polish legend have managed to hit a historic milestone in the current decade.

With his latest strike against Girona, Kylian Mbappé has become just the second player to score 60 or more goals in a calendar year for club and country. With 7 goals for France and 53 for Real Madrid (30 in 2024–25 and 23 so far this season), Mbappé is enjoying the most productive year of his career, and with December still ahead, he has several games left to push the total even higher.

Robert Lewandowski remains the only other player this decade to reach the 60-goal mark in a single year. The striker delivered a remarkable 2021, scoring 69 goals combined for Bayern Munich and the Polish national team, and like Mbappé, capped it off by winning the Golden Boot.

The Golden Boot race for 2025–26 continues to heat up, with Erling Haaland leading with 15 goals (30 points), followed by Harry Kane and Mbappé with 14 each (28 points). While he currently trails the Norwegian in league scoring, Mbappé has outshined him in terms of calendar-year output.

Mbappé and the chance to keep extending his record

Mbappé’s 60-goal milestone comes during a turbulent stretch for Real Madrid, who have struggled to find consistency in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. Still, the French star will have opportunities to extend his record, and potentially challenge the 70-goal mark, across the final matches of 2025.

Throughout December, Real Madrid have five games on the schedule. On Wednesday the 3rd, Los Blancos visit Athletic Bilbao, followed by league matchups against Celta Vigo, Deportivo Alavés, and Sevilla, along with the Champions League clash against Manchester City on Wednesday the 10th.

Looking across the entire century, only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored more than 60 goals in a single calendar year, with Ronaldo doing it three times. Messi remains the only player to surpass 70, shattering the record with 91 goals in 2012, a mark out of reach for Mbappé, but one he will be motivated to finish as close to as possible.