• This ambition was recently summarized by Mbappé himself: I hope people dream of me one day, just like they did with Cristiano

The clash of the titans is not just a "cliché" tossed around by the press when two top teams or players meet; today, these words are being realized as the worst nightmare for defenders across Europe. The protagonists are Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid’s new icon, and Erling Haaland, Manchester City’s scoring machine

Their rivalry is no longer mere media speculation about who will succeed Messi and Ronaldo; it has become a tangible and direct reality, reflected in a heated race for the 2025-2026 Golden Boot, according to Marca’s report on the duo today

The season is still in its early stages, but the challenge has already begun loudly. While Mbappé celebrated his Golden Boot for the 2024-2025 season (31 goals), he issued a direct threat to repeat the feat this year. From Manchester, Haaland responded swiftly and decisively, accepting the challenge

The duels race ignites in 24 hours

Last weekend perfectly summarized what to expect this season. On Saturday, Kylian Mbappé delighted Santiago Bernabéu fans, leading Real Madrid to a 4-0 victory over Valencia, scoring a brilliant brace. For a few hours, the French star seemed to be flying solo at the top

But this feeling didn’t last long Just 24 hours later, at the Etihad Stadium, Erling Haaland struck back. Against a stubborn Bournemouth side, the Norwegian scored a brace himself, leading City to a crucial 3-1 victory and sending a clear message to Madrid: Whatever you do, I’ll do it too

The current tally? An exciting tie. Both have 13 league goals. Since goals in the top five leagues (England and Spain) are counted as two points each, Mbappé and Haaland each have 26 points in the official Golden Boot standings

Theoretically, Serbian Darko Lemaic leads with 28 points in the Latvian league, but it offers fewer points, and only one match remains in their season. Thus, this lead is “temporary and misleading.” The real duel is between Mbappé and Haaland, closely monitored by Harry Kane, who trails with 12 goals (24 points) in the German league

Cyborg Haaland returns — the challenge is on

The most worrying issue for Mbappé’s camp is that this is not “last season’s Haaland.” In 2024-2025, the Norwegian “cyborg” looked half as strong, perhaps due to City’s overall decline. He finished with only 22 goals—excellent for any striker, but pale by Haaland’s standards—and fell behind Mbappé, the Golden Boot winner, and even behind players like Giukeres and Mohamed Salah

This season, Haaland has “reset the factory settings.” He has returned to the fearsome 2022-2023 version that shattered records and won the Golden Boot with 36 goals

His four goals in three Champions League matches confirm that his scoring is not just a local surge in England but a full return of the lethal goal machine. A hidden advantage for the Norwegian: Haaland scored his 13 goals in one fewer match than Mbappé. In a tight race like this, scoring rate is crucial, and Haaland currently leads on this metric

Mbappé’s generosity with Vinícius creates a dilemma

Meanwhile, Mbappé faces a unique dilemma caused by his “excessive generosity,” which could backfire by season’s end. In a race expected to be decided by one or two goals, there is no room for wasted chances or courtesy passes

The issue concerns penalties. As a kind gesture as team captain and to support his teammate, Mbappé decided to let Brazilian Vinícius Júnior take some penalty kicks

This “generosity” almost cost him dearly against Valencia last round, when Vinícius missed the penalty Mbappé gave him. Every penalty Mbappé gives away is a “potential goal” removed from his Golden Boot tally—a risk he cannot afford with Haaland as his direct rival

The irony is that Haaland himself is not perfect (last season, he missed 4 of 10 penalties). But the key point: when the opportunity comes (and City hasn’t had a penalty this season), it’s unlikely Haaland will share Mbappé’s “generosity.” Soon, Mbappé may need to stop these gestures to secure the individual award

The Ronaldo shadow — another battle

Mbappé’s battles this season aren’t limited to Haaland. In Madrid, he faces another challenge: chasing the “ghost of Cristiano Ronaldo

The French star knows that to become the greatest legend at Real Madrid, he must break Cristiano’s historic records—and he is working hard for it. With his brace against Valencia, Mbappé reached 44 goals in his first 45 La Liga matches, surpassing Ronaldo by one goal, who had 43 in the same number of games

Mbappé recently summarized this ambition: I hope people dream of me one day, just like they did with Cristiano

The “crux” here is this dual challenge: Mbappé is trying to surpass his historical idol in Madrid (which may require “generosity” toward teammates like Vinícius), while simultaneously fending off the relentless “Viking giant” from Manchester (which demands absolute scoring selfishness).

Europe and the world watch with bated breath, and it seems the “popcorn” will stay in hands until May… the battle has just begun