Kylian Mbappe Unveiled as Real Madrid Player, Declares “My Dream Has Come True”
neoeraadmin
3 min read
French superstar Kylian Mbappe was officially unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Tuesday, telling 80,000 ecstatic fans, “My dream has come true.” The striker, who completed his medical earlier in the day, signed a five-year contract and was handed the No. 9 shirt by club president Florentino Perez.
“Wow,” Mbappe exclaimed in Spanish to thunderous applause at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. “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 (PSG) player. “I’m a happy boy. I’m going to give my life for this club.”
Accompanied by his parents in the crowd and with former French hero Zinedine Zidane in attendance, Mbappe was visibly emotional as fans chanted his name. At one point, he even kissed the jersey of the reigning Spanish and European champions.
Mbappe is “an exceptional player who comes to help us continue winning, a player who today fulfills the dream of his life,” said Perez. “Welcome to your home.”
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 the Spanish capital. The unveiling of Real’s latest Galactico allowed fans to continue celebrating following Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph on Sunday.
The crowd was expected to surpass the turnout from 15 years ago when Cristiano Ronaldo was unveiled. Free tickets were quickly snapped up, with some fans reportedly trying to resell them to take advantage of the hype surrounding the arrival of arguably the world’s best striker.
At Real, Mbappe will form part of an offensive trio alongside England midfielder Jude Bellingham and Brazil attacker Vinicius Junior under the watchful eye of veteran Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti. This prospect is already exciting fans of the club, which won its 15th Champions League title in June.
Los Blancos begin the defense of their La Liga crown with a match against Real Mallorca on the weekend of August 17-18. Mbappe’s debut might have to wait until the following week when Real Madrid faces Real Valladolid, recently promoted from the second division.
Number 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, where he was overshadowed by Spain’s new teenage sensation Lamine Yamal of Madrid’s rivals Barcelona. France lost to Spain in the semi-finals.
His transfer to Real Madrid follows a challenging season with PSG, where he decided not to renew his contract. Mbappe, PSG’s all-time top scorer, admitted he felt “liberated, relieved” by his move to Real. The club hopes to offset the costs — a salary of at least 15 million euros ($16.3 million) per season and a signing bonus of more than 100 million euros — through sponsorship deals, ticket sales, and merchandise.
Mbappe is hoping the move will finally help him achieve two of his lifelong objectives: winning the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.
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