Real Madrid has confirmed that Kylian Mbappe will wear the No.9 shirt at the Santiago Bernabeu. Cristiano Ronaldo initially wore this shirt upon his arrival at the club before switching to his iconic No.7. Mbappe reportedly decided against requesting his favored No.10, which he wears for France, out of respect for Luka Modric.
Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid follows an underwhelming Euro 2024 campaign. Despite being a World Cup winner, he only managed to score once—in a 1-1 draw against already-eliminated Poland—as France reached the semi-finals but were defeated by Spain. Nevertheless, Mbappe faces the challenge of living up to the legacy of the No.9 shirt, previously worn by football icons such as the Portuguese and Brazilian Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Emilio Butragueno, and Alfredo Di Stefano.
Having departed Paris Saint-Germain with an impressive record of 256 goals and 108 assists in 308 games, the 25-year-old Mbappe has also scored 48 goals in 84 appearances for France.
Real Madrid are embarking on a pre-season tour of the United States, featuring matches against AC Milan, Barcelona, and Chelsea, culminating in the UEFA Super Cup final against Atalanta.