Mbappe Closer to Ronaldo's European Record as Madrid Head to Benfica, Mourinho's Old Dilemma Returns
27 January 2026
Mbappe Eyes Ronaldo's European Record
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé is chasing a historic mark held by Cristiano Ronaldo as they head to Benfica in a Champions League clash, a fixture long seen as a tough test for Jose Mourinho.
Match Details and Key Figures
The Spanish giants travel to Benfica on Wednesday for the final group-stage match. Mbappé has scored 11 goals in this edition, matching Ronaldo's Champions League record for most goals by a player in the group stage (2015-16). If Mbappé finds the net, he will own the record outright.
Mbappé has contributed 58% of Real Madrid's goals in this season's Champions League, with 11 goals from 19 appearances—the highest single-player goal contribution in the club's European campaigns.
On the sidelines, Mourinho has faced Real Madrid five times across all competitions without a win, suffering four defeats and one draw; Madrid remains the side he has failed to beat most often in his coaching career.
Mourinho previously led Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, winning the Copa del Rey in 2010-11 and the league title the following season.
If he features, Nicolas Otamendi would reach his 100th Champions League appearance in the modern format, a milestone only Argentine greats Lionel Messi (163) and Ángel Di María (116) have surpassed among Argentinians.
Punchline 1: Mbappé chasing Ronaldo’s record? Mourinho will argue the calendar is cheating, and somehow the calendar always wins at halftime.
Punchline 2: If Benfica’s defense hears Mbappé’s name, they might need a bigger chalkboard—tonight, even the notes are in euros.
