Coach Álvaro Arbeloa praised Kylian Mbappé, stating that he possesses the talent necessary to achieve an impact similar to that of Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at Real Madrid.
Mbappé scored his 38th goal of the season as the team secured a 2-0 victory over Valencia on Sunday.
The scoring was opened by left-back Álvaro Carreras in the 65th minute at Mestalla, and Mbappé netted a second goal in added time, helping Madrid maintain a position just one point behind leaders Barcelona at the top of LaLiga.
Having scored 23 league goals in his second season in Spain, along with 13 in the Champions League and two in the Copa del Rey, Mbappé still has a way to go to reach Ronaldo’s record of 450 goals for Madrid over nine seasons.
“We thought we wouldn’t see anyone like Cristiano, but [Mbappé] is on the right path,” Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV following the match, elaborating further in the post-match press conference.
“Currently, he’s without a doubt the best player in the world,” Arbeloa stated.
“What Cristiano achieved appeared to be extraordinary and unmatched, something no one could replicate. Kylian has a long journey ahead, as Cris was here for many years. However, Kylian possesses the attributes to follow that journey. You never know; if anyone can accomplish it, it’s Kylian.”
Since joining Madrid in the summer of 2024, Mbappé has netted 81 goals across all competitions, though he is still in search of his first major trophy with the club.
Arbeloa also explained his decision to field young David Jiménez as right-back over more seasoned players like Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who were on the bench.
Alexander-Arnold made his return in the 76th minute, while Carvajal remained on the bench as both recover from injuries.
“It’s encouraging to see academy players perform well in such matches,” Arbeloa remarked. “With Trent, we have to be cautious after a long layoff. We want our recovering players to gradually find their rhythm.”
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Alexander-Arnold’s playing time in LaLiga this season has been limited to just 406 minutes, with the match against Valencia marking his first appearance of 2026, while Carvajal has played even less.
“Dani is consistently showing improvement in training,” Arbeloa noted regarding Carvajal. “We won’t take any chances. During our time off, he was training at [Madrid’s training ground] Valdebebas. I can’t overstate how crucial Dani is in the locker room.”
Arbeloa defended the team’s performance against Valencia, acknowledging that they struggled to generate opportunities before Carreras’ opening goal.
“We understand that playing at Mestalla can be quite challenging,” Arbeloa stated. “We were aware of the difficulties ahead, and the players delivered a serious and committed performance.”