Tens of Thousands to Welcome Mbappe to Real Madrid

AFP/APP

Madrid: Still celebrating Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, Real Madrid fans will have even more to cheer Tuesday as French superstar Kylian Mbappe is officially presented to a packed-out Santiago Bernabeu stadium. 

With an expected attendance of 85,000, the stadium will be packed to the rafters for Mbappe’s first appearance before fans, surpassing the record set 15 years ago by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Although tickets are free, they were quickly snapped up, with some fans reportedly attempting to resell them due to the hype surrounding the arrival of the world’s top striker.

Mbappe will sign his new five-season contract with Real president Florentino Perez in the morning, before entering the stadium at midday (1000 GMT) to greet fans and hold a press conference.

Despite his new teammates beginning training on Monday, the striker, who captained France during the Euros, will enjoy a few more days off before starting his season in the Spanish capital.

Club medics will examine his nose, broken during France’s 1-0 win over Austria on June 18, during which France was later eliminated in the semi-finals by Spain.

For Mbappe and Real Madrid, this marks the culmination of a long-awaited union. The 25-year-old, a longtime fan of Los Blancos and of Ronaldo, will wear the number 9 shirt, which went on sale last Thursday in Real’s shops adorned with his image.

Arriving from Paris Saint-Germain, where he joined in 2017, Mbappe comes after a disappointing Euros personally, overshadowed by Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

It follows a challenging season with PSG after his decision not to renew his contract, with Mbappe, the Paris club’s all-time top scorer, admitting feeling “liberated, relieved” by his move to Real.

“It’s an immense pleasure and a dream come true. This is the club I’ve always dreamed of being at,” he said in June. “I’m going there with a lot of excitement and a lot of humility.”

At Real, he joins a new attacking trio with England midfielder Jude Bellingham and Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior under the guidance of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti. This prospect has already thrilled fans of the club, who secured their 15th Champions League title in June and are current La Liga champions.

While Real Madrid kicks off their season against Real Mallorca on August 17-18, Mbappe’s debut may wait until the following week against Real Valladolid, newly promoted from the second division.

The club aims to offset costs—15 million euros annually in salary and a signing bonus exceeding 100 million euros—through sponsorships, ticket sales, and merchandise. Mbappe hopes the move will finally fulfill his lifelong goals of winning the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.