Image credit: africanews
Kylian Mbappe realised his childhood dream on Tuesday when he wore a Real Madrid jersey at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The 25-year-old French star was officially introduced as the club’s newest player at the Bernabeu, where around 80,000 fans were on hand to welcome him.
Mbappe, wearing the No. 9 jersey, greeted fans with a big smile, then hugged Perez and former Madrid player and coach Zinedine Zidane, who first invited Mbappe to join the Spanish club when he was still a teenager.
š Ā”Bienvenido a tu nueva casa, @KMbappe! š¤©#WelcomeMbappĆ© pic.twitter.com/rFtyvX4qdo
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) July 16, 2024
Addressing his fans, Kylian Mbappe expressed his joy in Spanish, saying, “Good morning, everyone.” I will try to speak Spanish. “It is fantastic to be here today. Fantastic. For so many years, I used to go to sleep and dream about it, and today I am achieving it. I am very happy today.”
Mbappe received a rousing welcome from Madrid fans as he took to the stage at the Bernabeu stadium after signing a five-year deal with the Spanish giants and club president Florentino Perez.
Perez described Mbappe’s arrival as a memorable moment for the club, stressing the player’s dedication to making his dreams come true. “Today we welcome an exceptional player, who is today fulfilling his childhood dream,” Perez said. “Today you are here because it is something you wanted. Thank you for putting in so much effort to be able to wear this white jersey.”
Members of Mbappe’s family, team officials and several former players gathered near the stage at the Bernabeu, where the roof was closed for the afternoon event in Madrid.
Children involved with Mbappe’s charity were also present, while the song “Nessun Dorma” played in the background.
Madrid’s 15 European Cup victories were displayed during Mbappe’s introduction.
Image credit: africanews
The message “Welcome, Mbappe” was displayed on large screens at the renovated Bernabeu.
In addition, iconic club moments and photos from Mbappe’s career were also on display, including pictures of him in Madrid’s uniform as a child and with former star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid follows his participation in the 2024 European Championship, where France were beaten by eventual winners Spain in the semi-finals.
After several attempts to secure the youngster, Madrid finally struck a deal with him in June when he decided to leave Paris Saint-Germain and become a free agent.
Mbappe had played exclusively for French clubs in his club career – starting out at Monaco before moving to PSG and spending seven seasons there.
Perez had made signing Mbappe a major priority for the club after failing to secure him when he visited the club’s facilities as a 14-year-old and opting to join Monaco’s youth academy instead.
In 2021, Madrid’s 180 million euro offer to PSG was rejected, the same amount PSG had offered Monaco for teenager Mbappe years earlier.
