Comparing Kylian Mbappe’s record now to Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo at the age of 26
Kylian Mbappe turns 26 today and his career numbers so far are breathtaking. He’s scored over a hundred more goals than Cristiano Ronaldo and notched even more assists than Lionel Messi had at that age respectively.
Real Madrid’s latest Galactico is yet to win a Champions League or the Ballon d’Or and he’ll likely have to scale new heights in the years to come if he’s to leave behind the legacy anything like era-defining icons Messi and Ronaldo.
But if you look at where Mbappe is right now in terms of his goal and assist numbers, he’s certainly on the right path to emulate two greats he grew up idolising.
“I love Cristiano and I was a big fan of him when I was young but I start to learn Messi too because when you are a big fan of Cristiano when you are young, you can’t see how Messi is good because you love Cristiano,” Mbappe said.
“But I grew up and I like both now.”
Ronaldo is the all-time top goalscorer in the history of both international football and the Champions League, but his numbers didn’t go truly stratospheric until he reached the age that Mbappe is now – back in February 2011, when he was midway through his second season at Real Madrid.
In fact, when you look at the international and Champions League goals, Mbappe has almost twice as many as Ronaldo when he was the same age.
“Every time I go on a pitch I always tell myself that I’m the best and yet I have played on grounds where there was Messi and Cristiano (Ronaldo)” Mbappe told French outlet RMC Sport back in 2021.
“They are better players than me, they have does a billion more things than me. But in my head I always tell myself that I’m the best because that way you don’t give yourself limits and you try to give your best.”
Messi turned 26 back in the summer of 2013, shortly after an exceptional campaign for Barcelona in which he fired Barcelona to the La Liga title with 46 goals (60 in all competitions). He was the Ballon d’or holder at the time, having won it in 2012 for a record fourth consecutive time.
“Messi does everything well. We can all learn from a guy like him,” Mbappe recently said, reminiscing on the two seasons he spent alongside the Argentinian at PSG.
“I would go to him and ask him “How do you this? How do you do that?”
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Here’s how Mbappe’s career stats stack up against Messi and Ronaldo when they were the same age:
Kylian Mbappe
Appearances: 477
Goals: 344
Assists: 163
Minutes per goal: 105.8
Minutes per goal or assist: 71.7
Free-kicks: 0
Penalties: 48
Hat-tricks: 19
League Goals: 204
Champions League Goals: 50
International Goals: 48
Trophies
Club: Ligue 1 x 7, Coupe de France x 4, Coupe de la Ligue x 2, Trophee des Champions x 3, UEFA Super Cup x 1, FIFA Intercontinental Cup x 1
Youth: UEFA Euro Under-19 x 1
International: World Cup x 1, UEFA Nations League x 1
Individual: Ligue 1 Player of the Year x 4, World Cup Golden Boot x 1, Ligue 1 Top Goalscorer x 5
Lionel Messi
Appearances: 461
Goals: 348
Assists: 139
Minutes per goal: 103.8
Minutes per goal or assist: 74.8
Free-kicks: 13
Penalties: 41
Hat-tricks: 25
League Goals: 215
Champions League Goals: 62
International Goals: 35
Trophies
Club: La Liga x 6, Champions League x 3, Copa del Rey x 2, Supercopa de Espana x 4, UEFA Super Cup x 2
Youth: FIFA Under-20 World Champions x 1, Summer Olympics x 1
International: None
Individual: Ballon d’Or x 4, European Golden Shoe x 3, La Liga Best Player x 5, Pichichi (La Liga top scorer) x 3
Cristiano Ronaldo
Appearances: 471
Goals: 213
Assists: 89
Minutes per goal: 166.8
Minutes per goal or assist: 117.6
Free-kicks: 24
Penalties: 29
Hat-tricks: 6
League Goals: 135
Champions League Goals: 27
International Goals: 25
Trophies
Club: Portuguese Super Cup x 1, Premier League x 3, FA Cup x 1, League Cup x 2, Champions League x 1, FIFA Club World Cup x1
Youth: Toulon Tournament x 1
International: None
Individual: Ballon d’Or x 1, European Golden Shoe x 1, Premier League Player of the Season x 2, PFA Players Player of the Year x 2, Premier League Golden Boot x 1, Puskas Award x1, Champions League top scorer x1