Kylian Mbappé etched his name further into Champions League history on Tuesday night after equalling Real Madrid legend Raúl González’s 71-goal tally in the competition during Los Blancos’ 2-1 victory over Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The French superstar struck after just 14 minutes, capitalising on a defensive mistake by Inter to hand Real Madrid an early lead and move level with Raúl as the fifth-highest goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history.
The milestone came on a memorable evening for the 27-year-old, who had recently been honoured as last season’s Champions League top scorer after netting 15 goals. He wasted no time carrying that form into the new campaign by finding the net in Madrid’s opening European fixture.
Mbappé’s 71 Champions League goals have come across spells with Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and now Real Madrid, leaving only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema ahead of him on the competition’s all-time scoring chart.
Raúl’s achievement has long been regarded as one of Real Madrid’s greatest European records. The former captain built his legacy in the famous white shirt and became one of the club’s most iconic figures on the continental stage.
Mbappé has now matched that remarkable feat and appears well-positioned to surpass it as the season progresses.
Real Madrid strengthened their grip on the match when Federico Valverde doubled the advantage in the 23rd minute. Inter Milan responded through Carlos Augusto in the 77th minute, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side held firm under late pressure to secure all three points.
Beyond the victory, the night belonged to Mbappé.
From a young admirer of Europe’s biggest club competition to one of its greatest goalscorers, the France captain continues to rewrite Champions League history, with Raúl no longer ahead of him but standing alongside him on 71 goals.