Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy at Real Madrid is unparalleled, and any player who achieves even half of it would regard himself as accomplished. Manager Alvaro Arbeloa has now endorsed one current star to surpass the Portuguese forward.
Real Madrid Star Backed To Outdo Cristiano Ronaldo
Arbeloa’s time at Real Madrid has not gotten off to the best of starts. He crashed out of the Copa del Rey in his first match in charge of the club and then lost to Benfica in the UEFA Champions League, which led the team to finish outside the top eight.
The manager, who replaced Xabi Alonso last month, has slowly steadied the ship, and a key reason has been Kylian Mbappe’s form. The forward has scored in all six matches under the new manager, taking his tally to nine goals in those games.
He has scored 23 goals in the league and has a combined goal contribution of 49 in all competitions for club and country this season. The red-hot form has earned him widespread praise from fans and pundits alike, and now Arbeloa has joined in.
The Real Madrid manager admitted that Mbappe still has a long way to go before matching Ronaldo’s legacy, but believes that if any player in the world has the qualities to surpass the Portuguese superstar, it is the 27-year-old Frenchman.
He hailed the forward as the best player in the world right now and backed him to continue his stunning run. He said (per Managing Madrid):
“We’re very lucky to have him. He’s the best player in the world right now. It’s something that, as I said, Cristiano seemed to be out of this world, and Kylian has a long way to go, but he has what it takes to follow in his footsteps. Why not surpass him? If anyone can, it’s Kylian.”
Mbappe matched Ronaldo’s record of scoring 59 goals in a calendar year for Real Madrid in December. He had chances to claim the record outright, but a late penalty in the 2-0 win over Sevilla — the final game of 2025 — was overturned by VAR.
The former PSG star has also broken Ronaldo’s record for most goals in the UEFA Champions League group stage this season. The former Real Madrid forward held the mark for a decade with 11 goals, while the Frenchman now owns it with 13 goals this campaign.
