Kylian Mbappe has officially joined Real Madrid, being unveiled at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old completed his move from Paris Saint-Germain after his contract expired, transitioning to Real Madrid on a free transfer.
Mbappe was introduced to the crowd wearing the number 9 jersey, a number previously worn by club legends such as Karim Benzema and Ronaldo Nazário.
Real Madrid’s broadcast showcased Mbappe’s excitement as he donned his white shirt in the changing rooms, ready to greet the throngs of supporters.
A crowd of 80,000 Real Madrid fans gathered at the Santiago Bernabeu to witness Mbappe’s grand unveiling.
Club president, Florentino Perez, who has long admired Mbappe, expressed his delight at finally securing the French superstar, having pursued him for years to join the La Liga champions.
In a prelude to Mbappe’s appearance, club president Florentino Perez, along with legends Zinedine Zidane and Pirri, greeted the supporters.
The event featured a performance by Andrea Bocelli, setting a grand stage for Mbappe’s introduction.
Perez addressed the crowd, saying, “Thank you for putting in so much effort to finally be able to wear this shirt. Today you are accompanied by your family, your parents. They have been there for you since the very beginning and we have witnessed everything you have done to achieve what you have achieved. Today, Kylian has achieved his dream. Kylian, welcome home.”
Mbappe’s transfer marks the culmination of one of football’s longest-running sagas.
After spending seven seasons in Paris, he signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid, accepting a significant pay cut to join the club.
Despite earning £12.8 million net per season, down from £21.4 million at PSG, Mbappe received a substantial signing bonus of over £85.6 million and retained an 80 percent share of image rights on new commercial deals, a departure from the club’s usual 50-50 split.
Real Madrid confirmed that Mbappe will wear the number nine shirt, previously held by Karim Benzema, for his first season at the club.
While he wore number 7 at PSG, that number currently belongs to Vinicius Junior at Madrid.
Mbappe also wore number 10 for France at Euro 2024, a number that has been Luka Modric’s at Real Madrid since 2017.
At Euro 2024, France was eliminated in the semi-finals by Spain.
Mbappe scored once, a penalty against Poland, but described his overall performance as a “failure” and planned to take a holiday to rest before starting his new chapter with Real Madrid.
Real Madrid delayed announcing Mbappe’s official unveiling until after his participation in the Euros.
Mbappe had been linked with a move to Real Madrid for years, nearly joining them in the summer of 2022 before deciding to extend his stay at PSG.
However, after turning down a one-year extension last summer, citing dissatisfaction with the club’s direction, Mbappe’s departure became inevitable.
PSG attempted to retain him with greater incentives and plans to recruit more French internationals, but Mbappe’s decision led to a temporary exclusion from first-team training.
Though he returned to the starting lineup under Luis Enrique, speculation about his departure persisted.
On Friday, May 10, Mbappe officially announced his departure from PSG, sharing an emotional message with the club’s fans.
“I wanted to speak to you. I’ve always said that I would speak with you when the time comes, and so I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain,” he said.
“I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks. I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday. It’s a lot of emotion; many years where I had the chance and the great honour to be a member of the biggest French club – one of the best in the world – which allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure. To grow as a player of course, by being alongside some of the best in history – some of the greatest champions; to meet a lot of people, to grow as a man as well, with all the glory and the mistakes I’ve made. It’s hard, and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that, to leave my country, France, Ligue 1, a championship I have always known, but I think I needed this – a new challenge after seven years.”
Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid is seen as the final piece for Carlo Ancelotti to lead a dominant team in European football for the next decade.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi left the door open for a potential return, saying, “I wish him all the best. He did amazing for us in seven years and was vice captain. He arrived with us as a teenager and now he is a big man, the best player in the world and I wish him all the best.”
