Mbappé hits 40th La Liga goal, second-fastest to Ronaldo

Kylian Mbappé scored his 40th La Liga goal for Real Madrid with a strike against Villarreal on the weekend, becoming the second-fastest player in the competition's history to reach the milestone. The France captain reached the mark in his 42nd league appearance for the club, one match behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who did it in 41 games.

Mbappé joined Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024 and has produced prolific returns since his arrival. He has 58 goals in 69 appearances for the club across all competitions, a tally that several observers note mirrors the start Cristiano Ronaldo made at the Santiago Bernabéu. Mbappé has begun the 2025-26 season in particularly strong form, scoring 14 goals in 10 appearances in all competitions, nine of them in La Liga, and adding two assists.

The French forward acknowledged the comparisons to Ronaldo while stressing his desire to build his own legacy. "Cristiano has always been a role model, an example for me. I am lucky to be able to talk to him. He gives me advice, he helps me. He is the number one," Mbappé said. He added that he wants to "do something historic with Real Madrid" and hopes people will one day "dream of" him...