Mbappe s 50 goals in 64 games compared with Ronaldo in the same period: not surpassing, but greatness in different eras

When Real Madrid fans sometimes recall the 450-goal legend left by Ronaldo, the Bernabeu's new No. 10 is setting a record with lightning efficiency - Mbappe scored 50 goals for Real Madrid in just 64 games, becoming the fastest player in the history of the Galaxy Fleet after Ronaldo (Royce previously scored 50 goals and took 54 games). Behind the numbers is the air-to-air dialogue between two generations of top forwards: the French superstar has really surpassed the Portuguese king of the same period? The answer is hidden in the folds of the differences between the times and technical details.

Data comparison: "Efficiency Battle" with narrowing penalties

Looking at the total number of goals scored in the first 64 games, although Mbappe's 50 goals are slightly lower than Ronaldo's 55 goals in the same period, considering the improvement of modern football's defense intensity (high-level pressing and stronger defense line coordination), such efficiency is amazing enough. The difference between the two is more valuable for discussion, while stripping away the data and focusing on the scoring structure - the core difference is hidden in the details of the proportion of penalty kicks and the ability to fight sports:

First is Ronaldo (2009-2010-2011 season, the first 64 games): Only 12 of 55 goals came from penalty kicks, and the proportion of goals in sports games accounted for more than 78%, including 12 headers, 7 long shots, and 9 free kicks. The scoring methods cover inside and outside the penalty area;

Second is Mbappe (2024-2025 season, the first 64 games): 14 of 50 goals, and 36 goals in sports games were scored. Although 2 more goals than Ronaldo, it is more obvious to rely on the "penalty bonus" - As the absolute core of Real Madrid, he monopolized the team's 12-yard penalty power. In the early days of Ronaldo's joining, Real Madrid's penalty rights still had to be shared with big brothers such as Kaka and Raul.

If we only look at the "mobile combat efficiency", the gap between the two has narrowed to "2 goals". Considering the tactical differences between the times, such a gap is more like "between" than "comprehensively surpassing".

Environmental changes: The era of tactics and defense

Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009, and in 2024 led by Mbappe, the tactical logic of the football world has undergone qualitative changes, which directly affects the "scoring soil" of the forward:

Tactical system differences: Ronaldo in the early stage (2009-2013), coached by Pellegrini and Mourinho, and Real Madrid mainly plays "defensive counterattack". In the counterattack, Ronaldo appeared as a "lonely terminator" - During the Mourinho period, Real Madrid's average ball possession rate was often lower than 55%, and Ronaldo needed to complete a fatal blow in limited touches; and now Real Madrid (coached by Alonso) focuses more on "ball control and suppression", with a per game ball possession rate of 60% Above, Mbappe can get more opportunities to touch the ball in the penalty area. Real Madrid averaged 15.2 shots per game this season (the high in the same period in team history), 0.9 more than Ronaldo era (14.3 times per game). A seemingly slight gap, with a cumulative 64 games, the last 58 additional shots.

Iteration of defensive intensity: Modern football's "defensive coordination" is far more fierce than ten years ago - high-level pressing is more fierce, defenders have stronger ball-making ability, and more compact defense line compression. Mbappe can maintain sports combat efficiency in such an environment, and his ability to "get rid of small-scale + end with a single shot" is indeed top-notch; but Ronaldo faces another test: his opponent is the Barcelona "Dream Three" defense line led by Puyol and Pique, and the Bayern Steel Defence composed of Ram and Boateng. The "one-on-one interception ability" and "experience judgment" of these legendary defenders are still "hard core barriers" that are difficult to replicate in modern defense line. Ronaldo's goals back then are also irreplaceable.

Key attributes: The difference between "all-round" and "extreme"

The real difference between superstars is hidden in the technical dimension of "non-data" - Ronaldo's "comprehensiveness" and Mbappe's "extremeness" are distinctive labels for two generations of forwards:

Ronaldo's "no dead end score": In 64 games in the same period, Ronaldo has shown his "all-round attacker" characteristics - 9 direct free kicks (the iconic "elevator ball" showed its first appearance), 12 headers (judging the jump height and landing point), 7 long shots (the "heavy artillery" suddenly exerted from outside the penalty area became a killer move); on the other hand, Mbappe, as of 64 games, his free kick score was still 0, and he scored only 3 headers, and his scoring was dependent on "Speed ​​breakthrough + push shot in the penalty area" has achieved the ultimate in "special ability", but "scoring coverage" is still inferior to Ronaldo during the same period.

"Different answers" for big scenes: The Champions League knockout is the "touchstone" for superstars. In the first 64 Real Madrid games, Ronaldo scored 4 goals in the Champions League knockout stage (although the number is not high, it includes the "best goal" against Lyon in the 2010-11 season); Mbappe scored 5 goals in the Champions League knockout stage in the same period, including the key singles against Dortmund and Benfica - the "big scene performance" of the two has their own highlights, but Ronaldo subsequently used classic moments such as "2012 Camp Nou quiet gesture" and "2013 hat tricks against Dortmund" to prove his "the more adversity is, the more explosive itineraries", which is exactly the "legend thickness" that Mbappe still needs to catch up.

Conclusion: It is not transcendence, it is inheritance

When we are confused about whether Mbappe surpassed Ronaldo during the same period, we actually ignore the essence of football - it is never a "linear contrast" movement. C Ronaldo used "all-round" and "resilience" to define a era in Real Madrid, while Mbappe used "speed" and "efficiency" to open a new chapter: the former is the legend of "carrying the team in adversity", while the latter is the sharp blade of "tearing the defense in good times".

Now, Mbappe's Real Madrid career has just begun, and 50 goals in 64 games is just the starting point; while Ronaldo's 450-ball legend has long been engraved into the Bernabeu's DNA. Perhaps the best answer is: they do not belong to the proposition of "who surpasses who" but the "lucky gift" of Real Madrid's different eras - just like Distefano, Raul, and Ronaldo, Mbappe is becoming the next memory of the Bernabeu in his own way.

What kind of answer will he deliver when he completes 100 games? Time will give the answer, but at this moment we are already clear: greatness is never scarce, what is scarce is that every era has its own greatness.