Carlo Ancelotti rates Kylian Mbappe's chance of matching Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti has backed Kylian Mbappe to "match" Cristiano Ronaldo’s impact at Real Madrid following Wednesday night’s hat-trick against Manchester City.

Mbappe endured a slow start to his Madrid career but has been in increasingly unstoppable form in 2025, with his performance to dump Manchester City out of the Champions League feeling like a watershed moment indicating what he will be capable of at the club.

Ancelotti was asked to compare Mbappe with Ronaldo after the final whistle.

"Mbappe has a lot of quality and can match Cristiano, yes, but Cristiano set the bar very high," the boss explained. "Mbappe is just starting out at Madrid, he's enthusiastic. But it's not going to be that easy for Mbappe to reach Cristiano's level, he has to work.

"Everyone was waiting for this hat-trick from him and it has finally arrived. But Mbappe is not the only one, we have many players who make a difference. And they make a difference with their collective work above their individual quality which is remarkable."

Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Real Madrid in 2009 / Jasper Juinen/GettyImages

Mbappe has now scored 27 goals in 37 games for Madrid. Ronaldo managed 33 in 35 in his debut season in 2009/10, which Mbappe is likely to exceed given that there are still three months of the season left to play.

Ronaldo was 24 going on 25 during that season, with Mbappe only a year older, having turned 26 in December. The Portuguese icon went on to score a club record 450 goals for Madrid across nine years, moving on for a new challenge at Juventus after he turned 33.

Mbappe would have to average 50 goals a season and stay until he''s 34 to match Ronaldo.