Sports
Kylian Mbappé closes on Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid goal record, ‘among a chosen few’
Xabi Alonso said Kylian Mbappé is “on his way to making history at Real Madrid” as the star forward closes in on Cristiano Ronaldo‘s club record for most goals scored in a calendar year.
Mbappé’s brace in Madrid’s 3-0 LaLiga win at Athletic Club on Wednesday made it 55 goals for the club in 2025, just four short of Ronaldo’s 59-goal record, set in 2013.
Madrid have four games left this year, starting with hosting Celta Vigo at the Bernabéu on Sunday.
“Kylian is on his way to making history at Real Madrid, just like Cristiano did,” Alonso said in a news conference on Saturday. “With his ambition, his statistics … he’s among a chosen few.
“Working with him on a daily basis is great. His desire to influence others, his contagious energy, is something he shares with Cristiano. There, I see similarities.”
Alonso refused to say which player he’d pick — Mbappé or former teammate Ronaldo — if he had to choose.
“Cristiano is Cristiano, and Kylian is Kylian,” Alonso said. “They’re both exceptional. We’re very lucky to have Kylian, and we have to make the most of it.”
Madrid began the weekend just a point behind rivals Barcelona at the top of the LaLiga table.
They go into the Celta game with no specialist right-back, after Trent Alexander-Arnold joined Dani Carvajal as a long-term absentee this week, with midfielder Fede Valverde likely to deputise.
– Transfer rumors, news: Real Madrid, Man Utd eye Mouzakitis
– Real Madrid’s Alexander-Arnold (quadricep) out 2 months – source
– Luka Modric: I wanted to leave Tottenham and join Chelsea
“We’ll have to assess what decision we take, but there are other options,” Alonso said. “Fede always puts the team first … I remember great games he’s had against Barça, Juve. He’s generous and wants to help the team.”
The victory in Bilbao relieved some pressure on Alonso, after Madrid’s three previous league games ended in draws.
“It was a good game, complete, an all-round [performance],” Alonso said. “Now we want to find consistency. We’ve have to be where we need to be in April or May.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled ticketing information for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 Qualifier between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United, set to take place at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Tuesday.
According to the cricket board, E-Tickets for the high-stakes fixture can be purchased from tonight, with prices for all enclosures of the aforementioned venue set at Rs500.
Furthermore, the physical tickets will be available for sale from Tuesday morning and can be bought at the TCS Express Centre at the China Ground situated opposite the venue.
The PCB further advised fans with tickets to reach the stadium “well before the start of play” to avoid any inconvenience. Notably, the coin toss for the Qualifier will take place at 6:30pm as per the Pakistan Standard Time (PST), with the first ball to be bowled at 7pm.
Meanwhile, the ticket details for the remaining two playoffs, set to be played in Lahore, will be announced in due course.
The cricket board announced the ticketing details hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted approval for public attendance in all three playoffs of the ongoing PSL 11.
Taking to X, PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi said he had a meeting with the premier, during which the cricket board secured his approval for allowing fans in the stadia for the upcoming playoffs of the eight-team tournament.
“Just had a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and I’m pleased to share that we have secured his approval for public attendance in all three PSL playoff matches as well,” Naqvi wrote on the microblogging website.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled ticketing information for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 Qualifier between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United, set to take place at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Tuesday.
According to the cricket board, E-Tickets for the high-stakes fixture can be purchased from tonight, with prices for all enclosures of the aforementioned venue set at Rs500.
Furthermore, the physical tickets will be available for sale from Tuesday morning and can be bought at the TCS Express Centre at the China Ground situated opposite the venue.
The PCB further advised fans with tickets to reach the stadium “well before the start of play” to avoid any inconvenience. Notably, the coin toss for the Qualifier will take place at 6:30pm as per the Pakistan Standard Time (PST), with the first ball to be bowled at 7pm.
Meanwhile, the ticket details for the remaining two playoffs, set to be played in Lahore, will be announced in due course.
The cricket board announced the ticketing details hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted approval for public attendance in all three playoffs of the ongoing PSL 11.
Taking to X, PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi said he had a meeting with the premier, during which the cricket board secured his approval for allowing fans in the stadia for the upcoming playoffs of the eight-team tournament.
“Just had a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and I’m pleased to share that we have secured his approval for public attendance in all three PSL playoff matches as well,” Naqvi wrote on the microblogging website.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Monday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted approval for public attendance in all three playoff matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.
“Just had a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and I’m pleased to share that we have secured his approval for public attendance in all three PSL playoff matches as well,” Naqvi wrote on his official X handle.
However, Naqvi cautioned that the permission “comes with an important condition from his side that fans are strongly encouraged to use public transport or minimise fuel consumption while attending the matches, in line with the ongoing national austerity efforts”.
Just had a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and I’m pleased to share that we have secured his approval for public attendance in all three PSL playoff matches as well.
However, this comes with an important condition from his side that fans are strongly encouraged to… pic.twitter.com/SXtyhrIBpF
— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) April 27, 2026
“He also conveyed his best wishes to all four teams competing in the PSL playoffs. Looking forward to some exciting and entertaining cricket ahead,” he added.
‘The Voice’ star Dylan Carter died at 24: Cause of death revealed
‘Euphoria’ star Jessica Blair Herman unveils truth about feud amongst cast
Banks to report all related party forex derivative transactions: RBI – The Times of India
-
Sports1 week agoNCAA men’s gymnastics championship: All-time winners list
-
Sports1 week agoWWE WrestleMania 42 Night 2: Live match results and analysis
-
Fashion1 week agoUK’s Sosandar returns to profitability amid robust FY26 performance
-
Politics7 days agoUK’s Starmer seeks to deflect blame over Mandelson appointment
-
Entertainment1 week agoLee Anderson, Zarah Sultana kicked out of UK Parliament for calling PM ‘liar’
-
Business1 week agoHow Trump’s psychedelics executive order could unlock stalled cannabis reform
-
Business1 week agoNo fuel shortage: Govt assures 100% domestic LPG, PNG, CNG supply amid Hormuz energy crunch – The Times of India
-
Sports1 week agoQuetta Gladiators opt to bowl after winning toss against Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 11 clash