Tens Of Thousands To Welcome Mbappe To Real Madrid

Mbappe, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain where he played since 2017, will be greeted by an expected crowd of 85,000 fans, potentially breaking the attendance record set by Cristiano Ronaldo 15 years ago.

Mbappe’s presentation will take place on Tuesday at midday (1000 GMT). He will first sign his new five-season contract with Real Madrid President Florentino Perez in the morning before entering the stadium to greet fans and hold a press conference. The tickets, although free, were quickly snapped up, with some fans reportedly reselling them due to the hype surrounding his arrival.

Despite a disappointing personal performance at the Euros, where his stardom was overshadowed by Spain's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, Mbappe's move to Real Madrid is seen as the culmination of a long-awaited dream. Mbappe, who is 25 years old, has always been a fan of Los Blancos and Ronaldo. He expressed immense pleasure and humility in joining Real Madrid, a club he has always dreamed of being part of.

Mbappe will wear the number 9 shirt, which has already been on sale in Real’s shops since last Thursday. The shops are adorned with his image, highlighting the excitement surrounding his arrival. At Real Madrid, he will join a new offensive trio with England midfielder Jude Bellingham and Brazilian attacker Vinicius Junior under the guidance of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Although Mbappe’s new teammates began training on Monday, he will have a few more days off. Club medics will examine his nose, which was broken during France’s 1-0 win over Austria on June 18 during the group stage of the Euros. Despite captaining France, they were knocked out in the semi-finals by Spain.

Season Kickoff

Real Madrid, the current title-holders of Spain’s La Liga and recent winners of their 15th Champions League title, will begin their campaign against Real Mallorca on the weekend of August 17-18. Mbappe’s debut might be delayed until the following week when Real Madrid faces Real Valladolid, who were recently promoted from the second division.

The club is planning to offset Mbappe’s costs, which include a 15-million-euro salary per season and a signing bonus of over 100 million euros, through sponsorship deals, ticket sales, and merchandise sales. Mbappe hopes that this move will finally help him achieve his lifelong objectives of winning a Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.

SportsLigue