Kylian Mbappé was officially unveiled as Real Madrid's new signing last Tuesday at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, marking a significant moment for both the player and the club. The event drew a massive crowd of around 75,000 supporters, reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo's presentation in 2009 when he joined Real Madrid from Manchester United for 94 million euros.
The similarities between Mbappé's and Ronaldo's presentations were striking. Spanish TV programme El Chiringuito highlighted how Mbappé seemed to have studied Ronaldo's presentation closely. Mbappé used similar words to express his childhood dream of playing for Real Madrid and even mimicked Ronaldo's iconic gesture with his arms outstretched, shouting, 'Uno, dos, tres... ¡Hala Madrid!'
Mbappé is set to wear the number 9 jersey at Real Madrid, with the possibility of taking over the number 10 from Luka Modrić in the summer of 2025. This mirrors Ronaldo's journey at the club, where he initially wore the number 9 before inheriting the number 7 from Raúl. Mbappé has always been vocal about his admiration for Ronaldo, whose posters adorned his childhood bedroom.
At his first press conference as a Real Madrid player, Mbappé spoke about his relationship with Ronaldo, describing him as a friend and mentor. 'He has always been my idol since I was little. Now he is a friend who gives me advice. We are always in contact, which is a privilege. He has shaped the history of Real Madrid,' Mbappé revealed.
Mbappé also impressed everyone with his proficiency in Spanish, which he had learned in school with the dream of one day playing for Real Madrid. 'I wasn't the best at school, but I gave 100 percent in Spanish because I knew that I had this dream of playing for Real Madrid one day,' the 25-year-old striker explained.
The presentation ceremony was attended by notable figures, including Zinédine Zidane, and received extensive coverage in both national and international media. French newspapers like L'Equipe and Le Parisien celebrated Mbappé's new chapter, while Spanish outlets such as AS, ABC, El Mundo, and Marca highlighted his humility, ambition, and the fulfillment of his childhood dream.
- Mbappé's arrival at Real Madrid has been met with widespread acclaim and excitement. His presentation was extensively covered by the media, with headlines such as 'Happy child' from L'Equipe and 'Star welcome in Madrid' from Le Parisien.
- In Spain, the daily AS featured a full-page article with a declaration from Mbappé: 'I hope to be at the level of Real Madrid.' ABC emphasized his humility and ambition, while El Mundo referred to him as 'The last Galactic.' El País simply stated, 'Mbappé wears white,' and La Razon concluded, 'Mbappé fulfills his childhood dream.'
- The sports daily Marca captured the essence of the event with numerous photos and an exclamatory 'Wow!' as the title. Mundo Deportivo described the event as a 'White baptism for Mbappé,' featuring a photo of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez with the former Monaco and PSG player.
