Kylian Mbappe: Will Real Madrid's 'Turtle' Match Cristiano Ronaldo's Legendary Second-Season Surge?

Kylian Mbappe’s debut season at Real Madrid brought personal glory but no trophies, and history suggests his second year could mirror Cristiano Ronaldo’s legendary rise.

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Kylian Mbappe: A Season of Personal Triumph, Collective Heartbreak

When Kylian Mbappe finally pulled on the white shirt of Real Madrid, there was a sense of destiny about it. The Santiago Bernabeu faithful had waited for years, dreaming of a new galáctico era. Yet, after a full season, the trophy cabinet remained bare—no LaLiga EA Sports title, no Copa del Rey, and no Champions League.

For the French superstar, though, it wasn’t all gloom. He left his mark on Spanish football with 31 goals in LaLiga, winning the Golden Boot in his very first season. In doing so, Mbappe eclipsed the debut tallies of Ivan Zamorano and even Cristiano Ronaldo, instantly writing his name into Madrid’s history books.

It was a year of adjustment, of settling into new surroundings. And if history is anything to go by, the real fireworks might still be to come.

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Kylian Mbappe: A Pattern Carved Into His Career

Mbappe has always been a slow-burn phenomenon—year one to find his feet, year two to set the world on fire.

At Monaco, his first full campaign produced 6 goals and 3 assists across 26 matches, a respectable return for a teenager finding his way. But the following year, he tore through defences, scoring 28 goals and laying on 13 assists in 46 games. Overnight, he went from prospect to phenomenon.

The same thing happened in Paris. Season one: 21 goals, 17 assists in 46 games. Solid. Season two: a breathtaking 39 goals and 18 assists in just 43 appearances, averaging over one goal contribution per match.

It’s a pattern Madridistas are already whispering about. History says Mbappe’s second act is where the magic happens.

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Kylian Mbappe: Walking the Path of Cristiano Ronaldo

The comparison to Cristiano Ronaldo is impossible to ignore. Ronaldo’s first Madrid season was disrupted by injuries, yet he still managed 33 goals and 10 assists in 35 games—numbers Mbappe would respect.

Then came the explosion. In his second year, under Jose Mourinho, Ronaldo recorded a staggering 53 goals and 18 assists in 54 matches, averaging the same 1.32 goal contributions per game that Mbappe once hit in Paris.

Now, Mbappe’s own debut-season numbers at Madrid (0.83 contributions per game) mirror his first PSG campaign. If the pattern holds, the leap in year two could be spectacular.

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Kylian Mbappe: Will He Retain Golden Boot?

Oddsmakers seem convinced. Mbappe enters the 2025/26 season as the clear favourite to retain the Golden Boot. His main challenger? Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski. For the Frenchman, another top-scorer crown would make it eight domestic Golden Boots in a row, after dominating Ligue 1 for six straight seasons. Madrid fans aren’t just hoping for that—they’re dreaming of something bigger.

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Kylian Mbappe: A Story Still Being Written

Mbappe’s first chapter in Madrid may have lacked team honours, but the signs are clear: he’s getting comfortable. And a comfortable Mbappe is a terrifying prospect for LaLiga defenders.

If history really does repeat itself, the Bernabeu could soon witness the full force of ‘La Tortuga’—a second-season eruption to rival Cristiano Ronaldo’s golden years.

For now, all Madridistas can do is wait, watch, and believe that the best is yet to come.