Kylian Mbappe. Amanda Perobelli-Reuters via Imagn Images

Kylian Mbappe celebrates after tying Cristiano Ronaldo's record at Bernabeu

By Olamilekan Ajayi | Last updated Dec 20, 2025 6:56 PM ET

Kylian Mbappe, the French forward who has become Real Madrid's main attacking force, converted an 86th-minute penalty against Sevilla on Saturday to score his 59th goal of 2025 for the club.

The strike tied Cristiano Ronaldo's record for most goals by a Real Madrid player in a calendar year, a mark the Portuguese legend set back in 2013.

What made the moment even more memorable was how he celebrated the goal. Instead of his usual routine, he jumped and performed Ronaldo's famous "Siuuu" gesture in front of the Bernabeu crowd.

The penalty secured a 2-0 victory for Madrid and capped off a remarkable year for the 27-year-old, who was celebrating his birthday on the same day. ESPN FC reported the news on X (formerly Twitter), showing Mbappe's tribute to the player he grew up idolizing.

Mbappe hit the "Siuuu' after he tied Ronaldo's record for the most goals in a calendar year for Real Madrid pic.twitter.com/i0tHAXlH32
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 20, 2025

Birthday celebration adds personal touch to historic milestone

Saturday's match had extra significance for Mbappe beyond the record. Turning 27 on match day, he fulfilled a childhood dream of playing for Real Madrid on his birthday. The forward spoke to Real Madrid TV after the game about what the moment meant to him.

"It's a special day because it's my birthday, I always said it would be a dream to play in a game on my birthday and at Real Madrid, the club of my dreams," Mbappe said.

He added that matching what Ronaldo accomplished was incredible.

"To do like Cristiano did, my idol, the best player in Real Madrid's history and a world great, it's an honor for me."

The penalty came after Jude Bellingham had opened the scoring in the 37th minute. Mbappe finished 2025 with 29 goals across all competitions this season, putting him level with Bayern Munich's Harry Kane for the most goals by a player from Europe's top five leagues.

MBAPPE EQUALS CRISTIANO RONALDO FOR THE MOST GOALS FOR REAL MADRID IN A CALENDER YEAR pic.twitter.com/Bfs4bKlYl3
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 20, 2025

Ronaldo scored his 59 goals in 2013 across 50 matches during his peak years at the Bernabeu. According to ESPN, Mbappe explained why he chose to honor his idol with the celebration.

"It's an honour for me, I wanted to give him a wink because he's always been kind to me, he always spoke to me well about Madrid, how to adapt to Madrid and everything."

The Frenchman now has 73 goals in 83 appearances since joining from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024. His scoring rate has helped keep Madrid competitive in La Liga, where they sit second just behind Barcelona.

With Ronaldo's all-time club record of 450 goals still far ahead, Mbappe has years to chase down more milestones at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Olamilekan Ajayi

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