Is Mbappé the closest thing to Cristiano Ronaldo? Arbeloa gives his verdict | OneFootball

Real Madrid coach draws a rare comparison

Is Mbappé the closest thing to Cristiano Ronaldo? Arbeloa gives his verdict

Alvaro Arbeloa said only Kylian Mbappé can approach Cristiano Ronaldo’s level after the French star’s explosive start to 2026 with Real Madrid.

Arbeloa draws the comparison

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa has openly compared Kylian Mbappé to club legend Cristiano Ronaldo describing the former Madrid icon as “out of this world” while naming Mbappé as the only player capable of getting close to that level.

Arbeloa’s comments come as Mbappé continues stunning run in front of goal.

The French forward has scored decisive goals under pressure including stoppage-time strike against Valencia at Mestalla and a late penalty winner against Rayo Vallecano.

Goals at an unmatched pace

Since Arbeloa took charge, Mbappé has scored in all six match he has played in 2026 starting every game.

His return stands at nine goal in six match, an average of 1.5 goal per game, numbers that strongly recall Ronaldo’s most dominant seasons in Madrid.

According to figures reported by AS, Mbappé has now reached 38 goal in 31 match across all competitions.

His current scoring rate sits at 1.23 goal per match, the best of his career so far.

With more than three months left in the season, he is just six goal away from matching his highest-ever tally.

Eye on records and history

Mbappé’s personal best stands at 44 goal, achieved last season with Real Madrid and also matched during his final campaign with Paris Saint-Germain.

If he keeps this pace, projections suggest he could finish the season with between 58 and 67 goal, a range that puts Cristiano Ronaldo’s 61-goal season in 2014 /15 firmly within reach.

The improvement is clear when looking at minutes per goal. Last season, Mbappé scored once every 107.8 minutes.

In 2026, that number has dropped sharply to 61.6 minutes per goal showing major leap in efficiency.

La Liga & Golden Boot race

With 23 goal in 23 La Liga matches missing only one round, Mbappé is leading the race for the league’s top scorer award.

He holds eight-goal advantage over Vedat Muriqi of Mallorca and an 11-goal lead over Barcelona’s Ferran Torres.

The European Golden Shoe battle remains tight. Harry Kane leads with 24 Bundesliga goals for Bayern Munich, just one more than Mbappé.