The exceptional form of Kylian Mbappé remains the defining factor for a Real Madrid side that has lost momentum in recent weeks. The draw against Girona at Montilivi, the team’s third consecutive tie in LaLiga, cost Xabi Alonso’s squad the league lead but also highlighted something bigger: the French star is chasing a historic milestone. He is closing in on, and could potentially surpass, Cristiano Ronaldo’s most prolific scoring year in a Real Madrid shirt.

Mbappé just seven goals away from Cristiano’s 2013 record

The year 2013 stands as Cristiano Ronaldo’s most explosive goalscoring year with Real Madrid: 59 goals in twelve months. A number that once seemed unreachable… until Mbappé’s arrival at the Bernabéu.

The Frenchman has scored 53 goals for Real Madrid and 7 more for the French national team, totaling 60 in the calendar year. To surpass Cristiano’s mark strictly with Real Madrid, he needs 7 more goals across the five matches remaining in 2025.

Madrid’s schedule before the year ends includes clashes against Athletic Club, Celta, Manchester City, Deportivo Alavés, and Sevilla, a demanding run that could determine whether Mbappé breaks one of the most imposing individual records in the club’s modern era.

His influence is absolute: more than 55 percent of the team’s goals come from his boots, making him the most decisive piece in a collective project that has visibly lost shine.

A struggling Real Madrid and two contrasting realities in attack

The team’s latest performances have raised concerns. Draws against Rayo Vallecano, Elche, and Girona have halted Madrid’s progression, allowing a resurgent Barcelona to take over the top spot. Amid the lack of collective clarity, Mbappé has been the only one maintaining elite competitiveness.

“Real Madrid should ask themselves where they would be without Kylian Mbappé,” reflected Jorge Valdano, underlining the Frenchman’s importance even in matches where the team appears out of ideas.

The situation contrasts sharply with Rodrygo Goes, who is enduring the longest goal drought for a Madrid forward: 30 matches without scoring, 1,339 minutes of drought, surpassing even Mariano Díaz’s previous negative record. His future ahead of 2026 is now under review.

After the draw in Montilivi, Mbappé also made his stance clear:
“We need to change this dynamic and show who we are as a team,” he wrote on social media after scoring against Girona.

The Frenchman now enters the final stretch of the year with a chance to elevate himself statistically and to become the emotional barometer of a Real Madrid side stuck in a sporting crisis.