Kylian Mbappé has broken Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most goals scored in the group stage/league phase of a single Champions League competition.
The Real Madrid forward took his tally for the season to 12 as he came racing in at the back post to head his side ahead against Benfica on Wednesday, moving one clear of the previous record of 11 set by Ronaldo in 2015–16.
It must be noted, however, that Ronaldo reached his tally in just six games, whereas the new league format of the Champions League offered Mbappé eight matches to rack up his goals.
Mbappé Hunting Down Another Cristiano Ronaldo Record
Comparisons between Mbappé and Ronaldo have been frequent ever since the former’s switch to the Bernabéu in 2024.
Whether Mbappé will overtake Ronaldo as Madrid’s all-time top scorer on 450 is a question for another day, but in the short term, the prolific Frenchman will now be hunting down the record for most goals across a single Champions League season.
Ronaldo currently holds that record, having struck 17 times across the 2013–14 campaign with Los Blancos.
Most Goals in a Single Champions League Season
| Player | Goals | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 17 | 2013–14 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 16 | 2015–16 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 15 | 2017–18 |
| Robert Lewandowski | 15 | 2019–20 |
| Karim Benzema | 15 | 2021–22 |
Will Mbappé Break Ronaldo’s Single-Season Record?
Most of Ronaldo’s goal records have long seemed impossible to reach, but Mbappé has been doing his best to keep up the pace.
He tied Ronaldo’s record for most goals in a calendar year for a Madrid player as joined his idol on 59 goals across all competitions in 2025, and Mbappé has been showcasing even better form across the first half of the current campaign.
Having already struck 34 times across all competitions heading into Wednesday’s game, Mbappé is clearly playing with immense confidence and will fancy his chances of breaking Ronaldo’s record of 17 Champions League goals if Madrid can reach the later stages of the tournament.
Álvaro Arbeloa’s side have been far from perfect during the early weeks of the new manager’s tenure, but Mbappé continues to rack up the goals.
If the team itself can find their feet as the weeks and months go by, Mbappé will feel confident of adding the goals needed to take another spot in the record books away from his idol.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kylian Mbappe Breaks Famous Cristiano Ronaldo Champions League Goal Record.
