Kylian Mbappe needed 99 Champions League appearances to reach 71 goals. Raul got there in 142.

That is the gap the France forward closed on Tuesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu, where his 14th-minute finish against Inter Milan drew him level with the Madrid legend at fifth on the competition’s all-time scoring list. Mbappe is 27.

The goal came from a Brahim Diaz pass after Real Madrid pressed high on Yann Bisseck. Federico Valverde doubled the lead soon after when goalkeeper Josep Martinez lost the ball under a Valverde challenge, and Carlos Augusto pulled one back for Inter in the 77th minute to set up a nervy finish.

Golden Boot handed over before kick-off

Before the match, UEFA presented Mbappe with the trophy for finishing as the 2025-26 Champions League top scorer with 15 goals in 11 matches. Only Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more in a single edition, with 17 in 2013-14.

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Mbappe’s tally last season included doubles against Marseille, Monaco and Benfica, a hat-trick at Kairat Almaty and all four goals in a 4-3 win at Olympiacos. He scored in each leg of the quarter-final against Bayern Munich, the tie that knocked Real Madrid out.

The four names still above him

Mbappe’s 71 goals split into 6 at AS Monaco, 42 at Paris Saint-Germain and 23 across his first 26 appearances for Real Madrid. Reaching 70 in 98 matches beat the pace of every player above him on the list: Ronaldo needed 106 appearances to get there, Raul 115.

Benzema, 19 goals ahead, is the next name in sight. Neither Ronaldo nor Messi is still playing in the Champions League.

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