French superstar Kylian Mbappe was officially unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Tuesday, declaring to 80,000 fans, “my dream has come true.”
After completing his medical earlier in the day, the striker signed a five-year contract and received the No. 9 shirt from club president Florentino Perez. Addressing the packed Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Spanish, Mbappe exclaimed, “Wow,” to the crowd’s roars.
“For years, I’ve dreamed of playing for Real Madrid, and today, my dream has come true,” said the 25-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain player. With his parents and former French club hero Zinedine Zidane in attendance, Mbappe was emotional as fans chanted his name. At one point, he kissed the jersey of the reigning Spanish and European champions.
Perez praised Mbappe as “an exceptional player who comes to help us continue winning, a player who today fulfils the dream of his life. Welcome to your home.”
Exciting Offensive Trio
Although his new teammates began training on Monday, Mbappe, who captained France during their Euros campaign, will have a few more days off before starting his season in Madrid. The unveiling allowed fans to continue celebrating Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph on Sunday.
The crowd was expected to surpass the 80,000 who attended Cristiano Ronaldo’s unveiling 15 years ago. Free tickets were quickly snapped up, with some fans reportedly reselling them to capitalize on the hype surrounding the arrival of one of the world’s best strikers.
At Real Madrid, Mbappe will form a formidable offensive trio with England midfielder Jude Bellingham and Brazilian attacker Vinicius Junior, under veteran Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti. This prospect has already excited fans, especially after the club won their 15th Champions League title in June.
Los Blancos will begin defending their La Liga crown with a match against Real Mallorca on the weekend of August 17-18. Mbappe’s debut may be delayed until the following week when Real Madrid faces Real Valladolid, recently promoted from the second division.
No. 9 Mbappe shirts went on sale last Thursday in Real’s club shops, which are now covered with his image.
Mbappe arrives after a personally disappointing Euros campaign, overshadowed by Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal of Barcelona. Following France’s loss to Spain in the semi-finals and a challenging season with PSG due to his decision not to renew his contract, Mbappe admitted feeling “liberated, relieved” by his transfer to Real.
Real Madrid hopes to offset Mbappe’s costs—at least 15 million euros ($16.3 million) per season in salary and a signing bonus of over 100 million euros—through sponsorship deals, ticket sales, and merchandise. Mbappe aims to win the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or, two of his lifelong objectives, with his move to Madrid.
