Kylian Mbappe brings down the curtain on the amazing year 2025, after scoring his 59th goal from a penalty kick against Sevilla, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo's record with Real Madrid in 2013.

These 59 goals, according to the network «The Athletic», came in only 58 matches, a number that becomes more glamorous if placed in the context of a difficult season that Real Madrid went through, which began with the departure of Carlo Ancelotti, then a faltering start with his successor, Xabi Alonso.

The French striker, who turned 27 on Saturday, also scored seven goals for France in 2025, bringing his total with the club and national team to 66 goals. This number may be far from the historical record of Lionel Messi, who scored 91 goals with Barcelona and Argentina in 2012, but Mbappe is ultimately a human being, not a super legend.

What is most impressive about Mbappe's season this year?Guillermo Rey says it's not just his scoring ability; it's the complete transformation of his personality on and off the field. The star coming from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024 seemed more introverted at first, but over time he gained increasing weight in the dressing room, and today he has become one of its leaders.Ray adds that Xabi Alonso did not hesitate to confirm this at the beginning of the season, when he was asked if Mbappe was a captain within the team, and he replied without hesitation: Yes, without a doubt, because of his personality, experience, and influence on the rest of the players. Despite the failures that affected the entire team, Mbappe remained one of the few who maintained a high level.

As for Mario Cortigana, he believes that what distinguishes Mbappe most this year is his overall scoring continuity. Scoring about 60 goals in one year is a huge achievement in any circumstance, but recalling what the situation was like a year ago shows the extent of the transformation. At this time last year, Mbappe was telling the club's official channel that he had reached the bottom, after missing a penalty kick in an away match against Athletic Bilbao. Since then, the change has seemed radical, to the point that Mbappe has restored the feeling that accompanied Real Madrid in the era of Cristiano Ronaldo, when the team entered every match as if it was leading by a clean goal from the beginning.

What is your favorite goal this year?Guillermo Rey confirms that Mbappe is not a typical one-touch striker inside the penalty area. If he had to choose one goal, he would prefer his last goal against Athletic Bilbao in La Liga. Mbappe received a long cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, eliminated defenders with remarkable ease, and then fired a powerful right-footed shot from the edge of the area.Ray believes that the way Mbappe passed the defenders brought to mind Ronaldo Nazario's winding runs, at the height of his career in the Spanish League.

As for Cortigana, he chooses the second goal of Mbappe's hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League play-off at the «Bernabeu» Stadium in February (February). That night was the first major European evening in which Mbappe established himself on his new home ground. Although Pep Guardiola's team was going through a difficult phase, the hat-trick was remarkable by all standards.The 2-0 goal came after a team effort started by Jude Bellingham, and was supported by the movements of Vinicius Junior and Rodrigo, before the latter provided an assist to Mbappe, who dribbled past defender Yoshko Gvardiol and confidently shot the ball into the net. With the participation of what is known as the «super quartet» in the goal, Florentino Perez's dream of reviving a new version of Real Madrid «Galactico» seemed alive, even if only for a short time

What do the numbers say?Data shows Mbappe's scoring output has evolved over the year, with his 59-goal record far surpassing his previous best season in a single calendar year, which was 44 goals for Paris Saint-Germain in 2022. His scoring average also reached 1.1 goals per match, exceeding his average in 2022 of 1.05, which are the only two seasons in which he exceeded the barrier of one goal per match. The figures also show the volume of additional matches Mbappe has played this year due to the expansion of competitions. Had he not missed the first 3 Club World Cup matches due to illness, he might have surpassed Ronaldo's record.It is noteworthy that Cristiano scored his 59 goals in 2013 in just 50 matches, compared to 58 matches for Mbappe, at a time when tournaments such as the Champions League, the Spanish Super Cup and the Club World Cup were less crowded.

How did Real Madrid evaluate its first season?Guillermo Rey explains that Mbappe struggled in the first months of the 2024-2025 season to adapt to his new team. The technical staff was aware of these difficulties, particularly regarding playing without the ball, but remained confident that it was part of a process that would take time.It is true that other players like Bellingham integrated more quickly, but today it is difficult to challenge Mbappe's level.Cortigana believes that the prevailing feeling within the club is relief. During the difficult adjustment period from August (August) to December (December), some wondered whether Mbappe's impact would come below expectations. But his uprising in the final weeks of December until the end of the season, which he ended with 44 goals and 5 assists in 59 matches, dispelled those fears. The confidence expressed by many within «Valdebebas» that his second season will be better has proven true.

Is Real Madrid overly dependent on Mbappe?Ray answers without hesitation: Yes, one hundred percent. This is due to the decline in the level of his attacking partners; Vinicius Junior's tally fell from 32 goals in 2024 to 13 goals in 2025, while Rodrigo fell from 17 to 10.Xabi Alonso's system is also becoming more and more reliable, and Rodrigo and Vinicius have even publicly stated that they are working to help Mbappe record more.After scoring all four goals in a 4-3 Champions League win over Olympiacos, Mbappé refused to describe the team's reliance on him, saying it was nonsense and that he bore the responsibility if the team didn't win because he was required to score.

Alonso, in turn, defended his participation against a modest team like Talavera in the quarter-finals of the King's Cup, considering that he is always capable of scoring, even after returning from an injury, because he was the safest option at a sensitive moment.Cortigana believes that this situation is normal, and is completely similar to what happened with Real Madrid during the Cristiano era, and Barcelona during the Messi era. But it raises two fundamental questions: Can Mbappe shoulder this responsibility throughout the season and at crucial moments? Can he do that while winning titles, given the limited scoring support from the rest of the stars? The answer –in his opinion - seems difficult.