Kylian Mbappé burst onto the global soccer scene at a remarkably young age and has managed to sustain that elite level ever since, now matching the career goal total of one of the greatest players in history, Ronaldo Nazário. After equaling the Brazil legend’s scoring mark, questions have emerged about how close the French star is to the towering career numbers of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
On Tuesday, against AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League, Mbappé scored twice in Real Madrid’s 5-1 victory, pushing his season total to 32 goals in 27 appearances for the Spanish giants. Those two goals were also significant on a historical level, as they allowed Mbappé to match the career tally of one of the few modern-era players to win the Ballon d’Or twice.
Mbappé has now scored 414 career goals in just 548 matches. The forward, who is Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time leading scorer, netted 256 goals with the French club, 76 with Real Madrid, and 27 during his early professional years at AS Monaco, in addition to 55 goals for the France national team.
Ronaldo Nazário, by comparison, finished his career with the same 414-goal total but required 616 appearances to reach that mark. The Brazilian icon starred for clubs such as Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Barcelona, while also winning two World Cups with Brazil. However, repeated injuries significantly hampered his longevity, preventing him from pushing his numbers even higher.
Ronaldo Nazario of Brazil.
At just 27 years old, Mbappé has already equaled the output of one of the most lethal strikers of the modern era. He surpassed Ronaldo’s club goal total during his debut season at Real Madrid and, with more than 60 Champions League goals and 12 World Cup strikes, the former PSG star still has several major records within reach.
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How far is Mbappe from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi?
By reaching 414 goals before his 28th birthday, Mbappé has firmly positioned himself as a future contender among the greatest scorers in soccer history. Still, closing the gap on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi remains a daunting task, one that would require sustaining elite production for at least another decade.
Messi, currently the second-highest goalscorer in the sport’s history, has tallied 896 goals in 1,137 appearances, roughly double the number of matches Mbappé has played. That total includes 672 goals for Barcelona, 32 for Paris Saint-Germain, 77 with Inter Miami, and 115 for the Argentina national team.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, continues to stretch his lead. On Wednesday, the Portuguese superstar scored his 960th career goal, edging closer to the historic 1,000-goal milestone. His tally includes 450 goals for Real Madrid, 145 for Manchester United, 116 for Al Nassr, 101 for Juventus, five for Sporting CP, and 143 for Portugal.
One encouraging metric in Mbappé’s favor is his scoring efficiency. Ronaldo’s career average stands at 0.74 goals per game, while Mbappé slightly edges him at 0.76. Messi still leads the trio in that category, boasting a remarkable 0.79 goals per game.
