MU Shorts
Comparing Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo’s first 100 games at Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe’s journey at Real Madrid has reached a significant checkpoint, with the Frenchman completing 100 games for the club after his appearance against Real Betis.
But instead of pure celebration, the milestone arrives with mixed feelings. While the French star has delivered in front of goal, the team’s overall struggles have shaped the story around him and his transfer.
Mbappe’s brilliance has been overshadowed by the lack of trophies, as Real Madrid are out of the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League, and they sit well behind Barcelona in La Liga.
Still, when you look at the numbers, the story becomes very different, especially when compared to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mbappe vs Ronaldo after 100 games
Mbappe’s output after his first 100 appearances is elite by any standard.
He has scored 85 goals and provided 10 assists, meaning he has directly contributed to 95 goals.
🚨 Kylian Mbappé's first 100 games with Real Madrid broken down:
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) May 3, 2026
· The French forward has scored 85 goals and recorded 10 assists in his first 100 matches.
· He's scored 55 goals in La Liga, 22 in the UCL, 4 in the Copa del Rey, 3 in the Supercopa de España, and 1 in the FIFA… pic.twitter.com/QiZ2omDvgv
Simply put, he has also been responsible for around 33% of Madrid’s total goals since his arrival.
He has netted 55 times in La Liga, 22 in the Champions League, and added goals in domestic and international tournaments, including four in the Copa del Rey, three in Spanish Super Cup and one at the FIFA Club World Cup.
That level of consistency shows he is not just a league performer but a complete attacking threat.
Now compare that with Cristiano Ronaldo’s start.
Ronaldo, widely seen as the greatest goalscorer in Madrid’s history, set an extremely high benchmark early on.
He scored 95 goals in his first 100 games, with 19 of those coming from penalties. Mbappe, on the other hand, has scored 16 penalties out of his tally and has played slightly more minutes (8,400) than Ronaldo did after 100 games (8,160).
The gap is there, but it is not massive. In fact, Mbappe remains one of the closest players to Ronaldo’s early scoring pace in the club’s history.
Only Ferenc Puskas, Ronaldo, and a couple of historic names sit ahead of him after 100 games.
A different kind of attacking influence
Where Mbappe begins to separate himself is in his overall involvement.
While Ronaldo’s early Madrid years were focused heavily on finishing moves, Mbappe has shown a more rounded attacking presence.
Even though he is primarily used as a striker, he has still contributed in build-up play and created chances.
This does not mean he is better than Ronaldo, far from it, but it shows a difference in style.
Mbappe offers a slightly different attacking role, whereas Ronaldo at that stage was already evolving into a pure goal machine.
Trophies tell a different story
Now, this is where the comparison becomes more complicated, as Mbappe’s biggest issue right now is not his numbers, but the lack of team success.
So far, he has only lifted the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup with Madrid. For a club of this size, that is not enough.
On the other hand, Ronaldo did not win a major trophy in his debut season either, as his first piece of silverware, the Copa del Rey, arrived in his second year.
By the time he reached his 100-goal mark in his 105th appearance, he had just that one trophy to show for his efforts, but that Copa del Rey title holds bigger influence than the ones Mbappe has won.
Individually, Ronaldo had already secured major honours like the European Golden Boot and the Pichichi during that early phase.
Mbappe, for his part, has already won one Pichichi and is on course to win another, showing that his individual dominance is very much in place.
Furthermore, he also won the European Golden Shoe after a prolific 2024/25 season so on that front, the two forwards are tied.
At first glance, Ronaldo’s numbers still edge the comparison. More goals, slightly sharper efficiency, and a higher early peak in terms of pure scoring.
But Mbappe is not far behind. In fact, he is closer than most players who have ever worn the Madrid shirt.
However, attention must be paid to influence as well, as Ronaldo’s era eventually turned into one of the most successful periods in Real Madrid history, while Mbappe is still at the beginning of his journey.
Real Madrid will lock horns with Elche CF away at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight in Matchday 6 of the 2026/27 La Liga season.
The Merengues are currently second in the league standings with four wins and one defeat from five games, three points behind Barcelona, who are yet to drop a single point this term, and have looked unstoppable.
Given the situation, Real Madrid know there is no room for slip-up, even though it is still very early in the season.
Jose Mourinho’s men have not been particularly convincing away from home this term, having just about managed to beat RCD Espanyol in their opening match before falling to their only defeat of the campaign against Real Betis.
The hope will be to address that issue and put in a strong performance while collecting all three points heading into the derby against Atletico Madrid later in the week.
Going into the match, Los Blancos have not received any new fitness boosts, with Eder Militao, Rodrygo Goes, and Ferland Mendy still unavailable.
However, there will likely be some rotations with an eye on the derby, and here’s how Mourinho could set his team up against Elche tonight.
Defence
Trent Alexander-Arnold has had to share minutes with summer signing Denzel Dumfries so far this season, but will be hoping to make the right-back spot his own with a convincing performance tonight against Elche.
Meanwhile, on the left, Alvaro Carreras is expected to retain his place after a brilliant display at the weekend against Rayo Vallecano, which would also allow Marc Cucurella to be protected before the derby.
At centre-back, Dean Huijsen is expected to return to the starting lineup, at the expense of Antonio Rudiger, and partner with Ibrahima Konate.
Thibaut Courtois is the undisputed starter in goal for Real Madrid and will continue his search for a second clean sheet this season.
Midfield
While Aurelien Tchouameni has returned from his injury layoff, he is unlikely to be rushed back by Mourinho. As such, the Frenchman is likely to feature off the bench once again tonight at Elche.
Instead, the double pivot pairing of Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva is expected to take the field once again, with Eduardo Camavinga also having to settle for a spot among the substitutes.
Jude Bellingham has started all of Real Madrid’s matches so far this season and given his form and importance to the team, Mourinho will not rotate him tonight against Elche.
Attack
Yan Diomande made his first start at Real Madrid last weekend against Rayo Vallecano but failed to make the best impression.
Meanwhile, Arda Guler was once again brilliant for Los Blancos after coming on as a substitute, making a strong case for him to be reinstated to the starting XI on the right wing.
As for the left side of the attack, Vinicius Jr. will retain his place, hoping to find his best form after a rather slow start to the campaign.
Kylian Mbappe, who has now scored six goals in La Liga this season, will spearhead the attack, hoping to end his run of seven months without scoring away from home in the league.
