Is the day Mbappe surpasses Ronaldo just around the corner?

There's an interesting paradox in football: the greatest players don't need to play brilliantly for 90 minutes to decide a match. They just need one crucial moment.

Kylian Mbappe is at that point. The match against Villarreal is a prime example. It wasn't his most brilliant performance, and at times he was even lackluster, but when the game needed a decisive player, Mbappe appeared with a brace.

Mbappe continues to shine. Photo: Reuters.

The goal-scoring habit has been established.

Mbappe now scores goals as a habit. And that doesn't diminish the value of his goals; on the contrary, it elevates the French striker. Because scoring on bad days is the true mark of the highest level.

That's the DNA of a winner, of a player who knows how to separate himself from the crowd to make a difference. Just like a big team can still win even when they're not playing well, Mbappe still makes money even when he's not the center of attention.

The 34 goals this season are impressive not only on the surface. Mbappe has scored against 19 different opponents, spanning La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey. Notably, 16 of those came in the last two months, in 11 consecutive matches.

The scoring streak didn't resemble a temporary burst of form, but rather a sustained upward curve of performance. During that period, Mbappe directly scored 60% of the team's goals. In other words, half of Real Madrid's success rested on the shoulders of the French superstar.

What's even more remarkable is his performance. Mbappe is averaging 1.21 goals per game, a figure that puts him on par with Cristiano Ronaldo's peak seasons at Real Madrid. Cristiano left Bernabeu with a performance of 1.02 goals per game, and a total of 450 goals.

Coach Arbeloa showered Mbappe with praise. Photo: Reuters.

That used to be an almost unattainable benchmark. But Mbappe not only reached it, he's also surpassing it in pace. If he maintains his current performance, the French striker could reach 64 goals in a season, higher than Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 61 goals in the 2014/15 season.

This comparison isn't meant to hastily place Mbappe above Ronaldo, but rather to highlight the scale of what's happening.

Write your own history.

Mbappe is entering historical territory. His average goal-scoring every 70 minutes, and direct involvement in a goal every 61 minutes (including assists), demonstrates an impact that extends beyond his role as a pure goalscorer.

In that picture, the partnership with Vinicius Junior further highlights Mbappe's value. One disrupts play on the wing, the other attacks into space. Coach Alvaro Arbeloa called them "two of the best players in the world ," not only for their ability to create breakthroughs, but also for their attitude on the pitch.

The race for the European Golden Shoe has become intense because of Mbappe. Harry Kane (21), Erling Haaland (20) and Mbappe (21) form a three-way rivalry. But if you look at the current pace, Mbappe is the one with the strongest momentum. Previous predictions suggested that 35 goals might be enough to win the Golden Shoe this season, but Mbappe is ahead of that scenario.

Scoring goals even while walking during a match is a quality of legends. And when scoring becomes a habit, it's understood that Mbappe isn't just living in the present, but is gradually writing his own long-term story in Real Madrid's history.