Kylian Mbappé Scores in Champions League Opener for Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappé has started the 2026-27 season like a man in a hurry.

The Real Madrid forward made it five goals in five games on Tuesday night, striking first in a 2-1 win over Inter Milan in their Champions League opener and etching his name even deeper into the competition’s history.

The breakthrough came early. In the 14th minute, Curtis Jones lost the ball in a dangerous area and Brahim Díaz pounced, sliding a sharp pass into Mbappé’s path. One touch, one finish. Mbappé swept his shot first time past Josep Martínez, ruthless and precise, the kind of finish that has become his trademark.

It was Mbappé’s 71st in the Champions League, pulling him level with Real Madrid icon Raúl and into a share of fifth place on the all-time scoring list.

At 27, he now sits in the same bracket as one of the club’s greatest-ever forwards.

The mountain above him remains steep. Cristiano Ronaldo still stands alone at the top with 140 Champions League goals from his time at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. Mbappé is only halfway there, but the trajectory is impossible to ignore.

Madrid didn’t take long to tighten their grip on the match. Just nine minutes after Mbappé’s opener, Federico Valverde turned pressure into punishment. Martínez hesitated, Valverde didn’t. The Uruguayan nipped in, poked the ball away from the goalkeeper and forced it over the line for 2-0, a scrappy goal that underlined Madrid’s intensity.

Inter refused to fold and dragged themselves back into the contest late on, finally breaching the 15-time European champions with a goal that set up a nervy finish. Madrid bent but did not break, closing out a 2-1 victory to begin their new Champions League campaign with three points and their superstar already in full stride.

Mbappé is climbing a list dominated by legends. The only real question now is how high he can go before this era in Europe is over.