Carlo Ancelotti backs Mbappe to match Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid legacy
Carlo Ancelotti believes Kylian Mbappe “has the possibility” of matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid legacy after the Frenchman equalled his debut season goal tally.
Mbappe scored twice to help Madrid come from behind to beat Leganes 3-2 on Saturday, meaning he has now netted 33 goals in all competitions so far this season.
He has now equalled both Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy’s tally from their debut seasons, with only Ivan Zamorano (37 in 1992-93) scoring more.
Ronaldo, who joined Madrid before the 2009-10 season, then went on to become the club’s all-time record goalscorer, scoring 450 goals for Los Blancos in all competitions. He also won the Champions League four times and two LaLiga titles, among a total of 16 trophies.
“It’s difficult to compare different players,” Ancelotti said in a press conference on Monday when asked if Mbappe could go on to become the best player in history.
“What I can hope for is that Mbappe can achieve what Cristiano Ronaldo achieved at Real Madrid. I think he has the possibility to do it.
“If he does that, he’ll be a legend at Real Madrid like Cristiano Ronaldo is.”
Madrid’s attention turns to their Copa del Rey semi-final second leg on Tuesday, with Ancelotti’s side holding a 1-0 lead over Real Sociedad at the halfway stage.
It is the first of five games in a 15-day span, with a two-legged Champions League quarter-final tie against Arsenal on April 8 and 16 also to come. They also face Valencia and Deportivo Alaves in LaLiga, where they sit three points behind leaders Barcelona.
Keeping players focused through a congested and difficult fixture schedule has been a challenge for Ancelotti, but he is finding extra motivation from the prospect of being close to reaching another Copa del Rey final.
“The preparation of matches, the burden of injuries… we have to manage all this in the hope that one day we can have more time to prepare for the matches,” Ancelotti said.
“It’s going to be a very demanding season, and so far we’ve managed it well. We try to [keep players focused], but it’s a bit more complicated because the calendar wears us down a lot.”
The 65-year-old is also relishing the opportunity to become the first Madrid manager to win three Copa del Rey titles, having also won it in 2013-14 and 2022-23.
“It motivates me to be close to a final, as it does the players and the club. I’m very motivated in this sense by being close and the advantage we have,” he added.
Ancelotti said injuries to key defenders Daniel Carvajal, Eder Militao, and Ferland Mendy, and midfielder Dani Ceballos had left Madrid vulnerable.
“We’re less solid than last year, but more effective up front. We’ve had some very important injuries at the back, and we’ve lost our solidity,” he said.
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