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January 21, 2026
Kylian Mbappé grew up watching Cristiano Ronaldo dominate Europe, and now, in a white shirt at Real Madrid, the parallels are getting harder to ignore. From Champions League nights to handling expectation, Kylian Mbappé is beginning to walk a familiar Madrid path.
Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé has often highlighted Cristiano Ronaldo as his idol and a source of inspiration throughout his career. The Frenchman kicked off his professional football career in AS Monaco and he has confessed his admiration for Ronaldo ever since he started making the headlines in his home country. With the Los Blancos forward starting to emulate some of Cristiano Ronaldo’s achievements in the Spanish capital, the comparisons between the two magnificent players continue to grow...
Cristiano Ronaldo - Mbappe equals CR7 record
While it might have taken some time for Mbappé to settle into his new surroundings at the Santiago Bernabéu following his high-profile move away from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, the Frenchman has been enjoying an outstanding 2024/25 season. Real, who are 17/2 in the odds on the Champions League to lift the trophy this term, are starting to get the best out of the Parisian forward. Los Blancos, who are 11/10 in the football betting markets to win the La Liga title this term, have relied heavily on Mbappé’s goals this season. Much like when Ronaldo was shining in Madrid, Mbappé seems to be thriving under the pressure.
Mbappé has saved some of his best performances this season for the Champions League, and the France international particularly impressed against his former club Monaco. Bagging a brace against the Ligue 1 outfit in a 6-1 win at the Santiago Bernabéu, Mbappé became just the fourth Real Madrid player to reach the landmark of scoring 10 goals in a single Champions League campaign. Joining the likes of Ronaldo, Raúl and Karim Benzema in achieving the feat, Mbappé finds himself in esteemed company. He continues to show why he is considered one of the best players in the world right now.
There are many current players who will name Portuguese icon Ronaldo as their inspiration, and Mbappé certainly counts himself among that number. On numerous occasions, Mbappé has spoken of the influence Ronaldo has had on his game and the way he approaches matches on the biggest stage.
Reaching 10 Champions League goals in a single season for Real is a great achievement, but Mbappé still has some way to go to reach the numbers Ronaldo produced during his successful spell at Real Madrid. In no fewer than seven seasons, Ronaldo scored 10 or more goals in Europe’s elite club competition.
Mbappé’s brace against Monaco saw him move up to sixth in the all-time leading goalscorer rankings in the Champions League. Moving ahead of Germany’s Thomas Müller, Mbappé moved to 66 goals with those two efforts against his former employers. Of course, Mbappé still has some way to go to get near Ronaldo, who tops the Champions League goalscorer standings with an astonishing 140 goals in 183 appearances in the prestigious competition. At the age of 27 and playing for a force like Real Madrid, Mbappé would require the longevity of Ronaldo if he is to surpass the Portugal star at the summit of the standings.
While Mbappé has made a name for himself in his own right, the Real star has clearly been influenced by the great Ronaldo and will be hoping to continue emulating his idol’s achievements for years to come.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on January 21, against Damac, for the Saudi Super League. You can watch Damac vs Al Nassr, Marseille vs Liverpool, Slavia Praha vs Barcelona, Newcastle vs PSV, Chelsea vs Paphos and Bayern Munich vs USG, all matches provided from our streaming sports game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Damac vs Al Nassr kick-off time (21-01-2026):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 01:30
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 23:00
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+3: 20:30
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 18:30
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 17:30
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 14:30
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 13:30
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 10:30
Sources: ronaldo7.net / bbc.co.uk / marca.com
