MADRID, Spain–Fans had queued for hours in the Madrid sunshine, with temperatures coming close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) waiting for the stadium’s gates to open ahead of a midday start. All the tickets — made available for free to club members — had been snapped up days earlier
Such a long wait deserves a warm welcome and Real Madrid’s fans agreed, flocking to the stadium to greet him. The crowds meant it felt like an off-season LaLiga matchday, but this was all about one man. The vendors didn’t disappoint either, with Mbappé shirts, scarves and facemasks all readily available. The new club shop, built into the side of the redeveloped Bernabeu, became the Kylian Mbappé shop. His face was displayed floor to ceiling on giant screens, the shelves stocked almost exclusively with
Looking up at the Real Madrid fans packed into the stands at the Santiago Bernabeu, Kylian Mbappé smiled. He had waited a long time to say these words.
“Wow. It’s incredible to be here,” he said. “I dreamt for many years about playing for Real Madrid. Today, that dream comes true.”
Mbappé followed Real Madrid as a boy, visited the club on trial, almost joined them in 2017 and again in 2022. Now, Mbappé has actually arrived, officially signing a five-year contract Tuesday after leaving Paris Saint Germain on a free transfer at the end of the 2023-24 season.
The Bernabeu pitch was turned into a stage for the occasion. At one end, where one of the goals would usually be, was a huge podium backed by a giant screen, with Madrid’s 15 European Cups on display. In front of it were seats for invited guests, family and friends, plus Madrid’s club directors, and ample space for photographers and TV cameras. A blue walkway was fashioned to guide Mbappé from the tunnel and across the pitch.
Fifteen years ago, a near-impossible standard was set for player presentations at the Bernabeu when, on the evening of July 6, 2009 Cristiano Ronaldo was introduced at his new home. The stadium was filled with 85,000 fans to greet the Ballon d’Or winner, with people spilling out of the stands and onto the pitch.
A club employee told ESPN they’d never seen anything like the chaos that day. It was described as the biggest event of its kind, topping Diego Maradona’s presentation at Napoli in 1984. Alfredo di Stefano and Portugal’s Eusebio were in attendance for Ronaldo, with even the player looking impressed.
For a start, Tuesday’s crowd didn’t quite match that for Ronaldo. There were blocks of seats kept empty at each end, behind the goals, and no mass crowds on the pitch, and there were seats dotted around the stands. Estimates range from at least 70,000 present, with the club putting the figure closer to 80,000. Either way, the fans who were there made their presence felt.
The crowd’s first significant roar came when Mbappé was pictured on the Bernabeu’s big screens, walking into the stadium. There was another when he was shown behind the scenes, putting on his new number nine shirt. A third came when the architect of Mbappé’s arrival, president Florentino Perez appeared. He walked out to take his seat in the front row, followed by the club’s honorary president, Pirri, and a surprise guest: Mbappé’s idol and mentor, Zinedine Zidane.
Videos of Madrid’s most memorable Champions League moments were shown to the audience. Zidane’s volley against Bayern Leverkusen in 2002 elicited the loudest applause. Next,
Mbappé’s career highlights were displayed, along with pictures of him when he was younger sporting a Madrid shirt. After the preamble, Perez was the first to speak. Presenting Mbappé, he referred to him as “the kid who is now the star.”
It felt almost strange after years of botched bids, near-misses, and about-turns. Mbappé entered the field dressed in full Madrid uniform, grinning and waving to the spectators.
“You fell in love with Real Madrid as a boy,” Perez said. “I know you’ll never forget that day in December 2012, when Zinedine Zidane invited you to Real Madrid City.
Your love for Real Madrid has given you the strength to overcome every obstacle to be here. You’re here because you wanted to be. Thank you for making an effort to wear this shirt.”
That last line was an overt reference to Mbappé’s very public struggle to leave Paris Saint-Germain, which saw Madrid’s efforts to sign him rebuffed in 2021 and 2022. It’s true that Mbappé had to fight to be here, refusing to bend under pressure to exercise an option to extend his PSG contract until 2025, and ensuring that he could move for free this summer
Kylian Mbappe addresses a full Santiago Bernabéu as he is unveiled as a new Real Madrid player.
It was also clear that while this was a big day for Mbappé, it was just as big for Perez. No signing had ever taken this long, required this much patience, care and discretion. When Mbappé finally had his chance to speak, he did so in near-perfect Spanish.
“I want to thank the president [Perez] first,” Mbappé said. “He believed in me from the start. A lot of things happened … but I want to say thank you. I want to thank everyone who worked for me to come here. I know it was difficult, but now I’m here.”
The crowd chanted for him to “kiss the badge” and Mbappé obliged, before posing for photos and taking a lap of the pitch.
“I was sure the moment would come”
Despite this being an occasion worthy of music or pyrotechnics, this was a very Real Madrid presentation. There were no fireworks, light show or histrionics. It was austere, and a little old-fashioned. Later, in the Bernabeu press room underneath the stadium, there was time for more reflection on that long wait to join Real Madrid as Mbappé faced his first questions from the media.
In that setting, Mbappé’s performance was superlative, the France star putting on a tour de force in charm and charisma. One thing is clear: He has been preparing for this moment for a long, long time.
In a 40-minute news conference, he fielded most questions in effortless Spanish, often without the need to check the interpreter’s translation. He only switched to French to answer those journalists who had flown in from Paris to cover his arrival, which impressed the Madrid-based media pack.
“It was a dream,” Mbappé repeated, when asked to identify the precise moment he’d decided to join Madrid. “Then, it became an objective. I was close to signing for Real Madrid two years ago, and three years ago. It’s part of the life of a footballer.”
Euro 2024, or exactly how he’ll fit into Madrid’s frontline alongside Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.
Before making his announcement, Mbappé visited the training facility following his early-morning medical check-up. There, he had a discussion with coach Carlo Ancelotti and the few players who had returned to preseason training in advance of the team’s U.S. tour. Mbappé declared, “I’ll play wherever the boss [Ancelotti] wants.” “I am capable of playing all three attacking positions.
To support the team, it is crucial to be in good physical and emotional health.There isn’t a disagreement for me. I don’t care where I play; I just want to be on the field.”
Fans will want more now that they’ve seen Mbappé wearing a Madrid shirt, but he doesn’t know when that broken nose—and the desire to recover after a long day—may occur.
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