Real Madrid secured a 2-0 victory against Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, December 20, 2025, in a La Liga match that saw Kylian Mbappe equal a record held by Cristiano Ronaldo. The win strengthens Real Madrid's position near the top of the La Liga table as they head into the winter break.

The match saw Jude Bellingham opening the scoring with a header shortly before halftime. Sevilla's Marcao received a second yellow card in the 68th minute, reducing the visitors to 10 men. Kylian Mbappe then sealed the victory with a penalty in the 86th minute, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's club record of 59 goals in a calendar year.

Mbappe's equalizing of Ronaldo's record was a major talking point. The French forward celebrated his 27th birthday by matching Ronaldo's 2013 tally. Mbappe expressed his admiration for Ronaldo, calling him his idol and the best player in Real Madrid's history. He even paid homage to Ronaldo with a subdued version of the Portuguese star's trademark "Siu" goal celebration. "I wanted to give him a wink because he's always been kind to me," Mbappe said. "He was my idol as a kid, I have a very good relationship with him, he's a friend now".

Despite the comfortable scoreline, Real Madrid had to work for the win. Sevilla created some early problems, with Isaac Romero nearly scoring. Mbappe himself missed several chances before finally converting the penalty. Real Madrid also had goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to thank for keeping Sevilla at bay.

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso acknowledged the team's need for improvement despite the victory. "Today was a game we had to win, we were in a complicated situation," Alonso said. "We know that we can play better, and now we have the three points and will try to start the new year by improving".

With this win, Real Madrid is now only one point behind Barcelona in the La Liga standings. Meanwhile, Sevilla remains in ninth place. Real Madrid will face Real Betis on January 4, while Sevilla will play Levante on the same day.

While Mbappe matched Ronaldo's goalscoring record, it’s worth noting that Ronaldo reached the 59 goals in fewer games (50) than Mbappe (59).

The match was not without controversy. Real Madrid was initially awarded another penalty, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review.