Mbappé, at his absolute best

Kylian Mbappé is enjoying one of the finest stretches of his career. After winning his first Golden Boot just a few months ago, the Real Madrid forward is aiming to defend the award — and perhaps even claim his first Ballon d’Or.

Much will depend on how far Madrid go in the Champions League and, above all, on France’s run at the 2026 World Cup, set to be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Since joining Los Blancos in the 2024–25 season, the Frenchman has produced 76 goals and nine assists in 86 appearances, putting him firmly on track to become one of the club’s all-time great scorers.

Goals increasingly flowing through one man

Mbappé scores a lot — but Real Madrid are not scoring more. That is the paradox beginning to take hold in the analysis of the team. An ever-growing share of the goals are coming from the French star, while the attacking contribution from the rest of the squad has steadily declined.

That point was underlined by Antón Meana on El Larguero on Cadena SER, where he compared Madrid’s attacking output over recent seasons:

“I like Mbappé, but when you look at the numbers, since he arrived Madrid aren’t scoring more goals. Mbappé scores a lot, but as a team, Madrid aren’t scoring more.”

The numbers tell the story

The data backs up that perception. In the 2023–24 season, without Mbappé or Karim Benzema, but with Rodrygo, Vinícius and Jude Bellingham leading the attack, Real Madrid averaged 2.29 goals per game.

With Mbappé on board, that figure dropped to 2.05 goals per match in his first season and has fallen again to 2.00 this year. Those numbers are a long way from the 2.47 goals per game Madrid averaged in Cristiano Ronaldo’s final season at the club.

The conclusion is clear: Mbappé is scoring the bulk of the goals, but the team’s overall attacking production has not increased.

Goals are not enough without silverware

The discussion goes beyond individual numbers. For Jesús Gallego, what ultimately matters in football is not goals, but trophies. And since Mbappé’s arrival, Madrid’s haul has been modest: one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Intercontinental Cup, both decided in single-match finals.

“You can score a lot of goals, but if there are no titles… Since Mbappé arrived at Real Madrid, Barcelona have won four trophies and beaten Madrid in three finals,” Gallego noted.

He even raised a broader question about the club’s immediate future:

“If Madrid finish this season empty-handed, maybe contracts should be reviewed. Two years without a major title…”

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