There is a sense of inevitability when Kylian Mbappe steps onto the pitch in a Real Madrid shirt.

Despite a decline in form for Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, and injuries to Jude Bellingham, Mbappe continued to take centre stage in 2025.

The 27-year-old scored from the penalty spot against Sevilla in Madrid’s final game of 2025, seeing him equal Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most goals in a calendar year for the club.

Although it was a rare trophyless year for Los Blancos, it is fair to say Mbappe played his part in their search for silverware.

How Mbappe equalled Ronaldo’s tally

Mbappe’s goal against Sevilla was his 59th in as many games in 2025 in all club competitions, matching the record tally that Ronaldo previously set in 2013 during his time in the Spanish capital.

The Frenchman averaged a goal every 83.1 minutes under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso, practically guaranteeing a goal for his side when starting a match.

And, perhaps unsurprisingly, 51 of his goals came with his stronger right foot, while seven were scored with his left and just one with his head.

Mbappe scored 13 of the 15 penalties he took throughout the year, with 48 of his strikes coming from inside the box and 11 from beyond 18 yards out.

As well as scoring 11 braces throughout the year, Mbappe also recorded five hat-tricks for Los Blancos, including a four-goal display against Olympiacos in the Champions League.

He also scored a hat-trick against Clasico rivals Barcelona, who bore the brunt of Mbappe’s talents in front of goal.

Mbappe scored six goals against Barca in 2025, including one in the Copa del Rey final, while he scored four against Manchester City and Olympiacos.

2025 Mbappe v 2012 Messi

When anyone mentions most goals in a calendar year, the first name that always pops up is Lionel Messi.

The Argentinian forward still holds the record for most goals in a single year in Europe’s top five leagues, finding the back of the net 79 times for Barcelona in 2012.

Mbappe is not the first player to surpass the 50-goal mark and still fall short of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Robert Lewandowski fell one short of the joint-second-best goalscoring year, now held by Mbappe and Ronaldo, after scoring 58 times for Bayern Munich in 2021.

Elsewhere in 2025, Harry Kane was hot on the heels of Mbappe. The former England skipper scored his 51st goal of the year for Bayern in their 4-0 win over Heidenheim on Sunday.

Kane enjoyed a career-best year for club goals, while he has now reached 100 Bundesliga goal involvements in record time, too.