JAKARTA - Manager Alvaro Arbeloa says Kylian Mbappe has the quality to match Cristiano Ronaldo's incredible impact at Real Madrid.
The star striker scored his 38th goal of the season in his team's 2-0 win at Valencia on Monday, February 9, 2026, early morning WIB.
Left-back Alvaro Carreras opened the scoring in the 65th minute at Mestalla, before Mbappe scored the second goal in injury time to give Real Madrid the victory that kept them one point behind leaders Barcelona in the LaLiga standings.
Mbappe - who has now scored 23 league goals in his second season in Spain, with another 13 in the Champions League, and two goals in the Copa del Rey - still has a long way to go to match Ronaldo, who is Real Madrid's all-time top scorer with 450 goals in nine seasons.
"We thought we wouldn't see a player like Cristiano, but (Mbappe) is on the right track."
"Right now he is the best player in the world. What Cristiano does seems like something extraordinary and impossible to match, as if no one could get close to him."
"Kylian has a long way to go because Cris has been here for years. However, Kylian has the quality to follow in his footsteps."
"You never know. If anyone can do it, it's Kylian," Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV after the game.
Mbappe has now scored 81 goals in all competitions since joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 despite not winning a major trophy.
Arbeloa also discussed why he chose young David Jimenez as right-back at Mestalla, with more experienced options, such as Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold, on the bench.
Alexander-Arnold was brought on in the 76th minute, while Carvajal remained an unused substitute as both were still recovering from injuries.
"The fact that a young academy player can play in a game like this and make a contribution is good news."
"With Trent, after a long absence, we will be very careful. We want (the player who is recovering) to find their rhythm little by little. Trent will be like that," said Arbeloa.
Alexander-Arnold has played just 406 minutes in LaLiga this season - with the match against Valencia his first appearance in 2026 - while Carvajal has played even less.
"Dani looks better in training. We won't take any risks. When we have a few days off, he trains at (Real Madrid's training ground) Valdebebas."
"I don't need to tell you how important Dani is in the dressing room," Arbeloa said, when asked about Carvajal.
Meanwhile, Arbeloa defended the team's performance against Valencia, which showed difficulties in creating opportunities before Carreras' opening goal.
"We know coming to Mestalla is like going to the dentist. We know how difficult this game is."
"This is a very serious and committed game from the players," Arbeloa said.
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