Mbappe dedicates 'Siu' to Ronaldo after equaling his record on his birthday as Vinicius gets booed

Real Madrid closed out 2025 with a tale of two forwards—Kylian Mbappé celebrating a historic milestone while Vinicius Junior faced supporter frustration and an extended scoring slump. Real Madrid won at home against Sevilla 2-0, but it wasn't as comfortable as the scoreline suggests. Real's structural issues were exploited by Sevilla, but they just couldn't punish Real Madrid when they had the opportunities, and Courtois came to the rescue on a few occasions as he always does.

Mbappe matches Ronaldo's historic record

On his 27th birthday, Mbappé etched his name alongside his childhood idol by scoring his 59th goal of the calendar year. The late penalty strike in the 86th minute matched Cristiano Ronaldo's legendary club record set in 2013, making Mbappé only the second player in Real Madrid history to reach this remarkable tally.

In a touching tribute, Mbappé celebrated by performing Ronaldo's signature "Siu" celebration as his dedication to the idol. "It's an honour for me, I wanted to give him a wink because he's always been kind to me," he told Real Madrid TV after the match. "Ronaldo is my friend, he is my idol. We talk a lot and he has helped me to adapt to Real Madrid. I have my own celebration but this was a dedication to him."

After the game, Mbappé posted on Instagram with photos of his celebration alongside an old picture of himself as a 13-year-old meeting Ronaldo during a trial at Real Madrid's Valdebebas training ground. The caption read: "Believe in your dreams. Big up @cristiano." Ronaldo responded in the comments with raised hands and fire emojis, showing his support for the Frenchman's achievement.

Vinicius faces unprecedented drought and Bernabeu boos

While Mbappé thrived, Vinicius Junior experienced one of the darkest periods of his Real Madrid career. The Brazilian has gone 14 consecutive matches without scoring since his brace against Villarreal on October 5—a drought spanning 941 minutes of football.

The frustration reached a boiling point during the Sevilla match when sections of the Santiago Bernabéu crowd booed Vinicius after poor decision-making in key moments. The Brazilian was later substituted, replaced by Gonzalo García as the whistles reflected growing impatience with both his lack of goals and inconsistent performances.

Coach Xabi Alonso notably declined to defend his number seven from the supporters' criticism. "The fans have the right to express their opinion," Alonso stated diplomatically when asked about the boos directed at Vinicius.

A tale of two seasons

The contrast couldn't be starker—Mbappe scored 59 goals in 2025 while Vinicius managed just 13. The statistics are concerning for a player who was recently crowned FIFA's Best Men's Player. During this barren spell, Vinicius has taken 41 shots, more than anyone except Mbappe, but with minimal effectiveness. Remember, Vini's performance has dropped since his Ballon d'or debacle.

This marks Vinicius's longest drought since the 2020-21 season. As Real Madrid prepare for 2026 sitting just one point behind Barcelona in La Liga, the pressure intensifies on both forwards—for Mbappé to sustain his remarkable production, and for Vinicius to rediscover the goal scoring form that made him one of world football's most feared attackers.