Mbappé: 'Very special' to match Ronaldo tally

Published on Mar, 29 2025

  • Alex Kirkland
  • Rodrigo Faez
Mar 29, 2025, 07:14 PM ET
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Kylian Mbappé said matching Cristiano Ronaldo's goal tally in his debut Real Madrid season is "very special" after scoring twice in a 3-2 comeback win over Leganés on Saturday.

The forward's first-half penalty put Madrid 1-0 up at the Santiago Bernabéu, but Leganes levelled a minute later through Diego Garcia, and Dani Raba made it 2-1to the visitors before half-time.

Jude Bellingham pulled a goal back after the break before Mbappé grabbed a second, to secure the three points and make it 33 goals in all competitions so far this campaign.

"It's very special," Mbappé told Real Madrid TV. "The most important things are the ones you do with the team, but to score the same number of goals as Cristiano is always good. We know what Cristiano represents for Real Madrid and for me.

"We always talk, he gives me advice. It's good to score goals, but as I always say, we have to win trophies here."

The win meant Madrid keep pace with Barcelona at the top of the LaLiga table, with both teams on 63 points, ahead of Barça's game with Girona on Sunday.

Kylian Mbappé is enjoying a prolific first season at Real Madrid. Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

Mbappé's 33 goals -- 22 of which have come in the league -- have been scored in just 45 games, with Madrid still chasing three major trophies in LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.

"We've been working all year for this moment," Mbappé said. "We'll give everything to win games and all the trophies we can.

"It's always difficult after the international break, you have one rhythm with your club, you go away with your national team and it's something else. But we know what we always have to do: win."

Asked about Mbappé's form in recent months, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said: "He's playing well. He's more active, more present in our play. He's making the difference, and that's what we want from him."

Ancelotti revealed that Mbappé had scored a similar goal to his winner -- an indirect free kick, which he touched to Fran García before curling past the wall and into the net -- in training a day earlier.

"We worked on it with the coaching staff," Mbappé explained. "I knew that I could shoot like that, I saw the space, and it worked well ... It's a team effort, with the staff."

Madrid host Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal on Tuesday, before playing Valencia in LaLiga, and then Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

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