Kylian Mbappé Scores Again in Champions League Opener

Kylian Mbappé is starting the 2026-27 season like a man in a hurry.

The Real Madrid forward needed just 14 minutes of the new Champions League campaign to find the net against Inter Milan on Tuesday, making it five goals in five games this season and underlining exactly why the Bernabéu already feels like his stage.

The opener came from a mistake, and Mbappé pounced. Curtis Jones lost the ball in a dangerous area, Brahim Díaz snapped onto the loose possession and slipped a pass into space. One touch from Mbappé, one clean, first-time finish beyond Josep Martínez. Ruthless. Inevitable.

Mbappé’s 71st goal in the Champions League, pulling him level with Real Madrid icon Raúl in fifth place on the competition’s all-time scoring list.

At 27, he now sits among the royalty of Europe’s premier tournament, with only four names ahead of him.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains the distant benchmark with 140 goals, built across eras at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. Mbappé is still miles off that total, but nights like this make the chase feel less fanciful and more like a matter of time and opportunity.

Madrid didn’t wait long to tighten their grip on the match. Nine minutes after the opener, they were two up, this time thanks to a gift from Inter’s goalkeeper. Martínez misjudged his touch, Federico Valverde read the error and slid in to poke the ball away and into the net. A scrappy goal, but the kind that decides group standings months down the line.

Inter eventually clawed one back late on, forcing Madrid to see out a nervy finish rather than a procession. The 15-time European champions bent but did not break, closing out a 2-1 win to start their latest Champions League quest with three points and a familiar sense of purpose.

Mbappé walks away with another goal, another record touched, another reminder that this competition might one day belong to him as completely as it once did to Ronaldo. The numbers are stacking up. How far can he push them?