Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé made his La Liga debut in the season opener against Mallorca. Despite the anticipation, the French star couldn’t make a significant impact during the away match, which ended in a draw.

After the game, Mbappé was spotted interacting with tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who had attended the match at the Son Moix Stadium in Mallorca. As Mbappé was leaving, he met Nadal near the exit, where the two exchanged a warm hug. Mbappé then pulled out his Real Madrid jersey from his backpack and presented it to Nadal.

A video capturing their touching exchange quickly circulated on social media, garnering attention from sports fans worldwide. The Tennis Letter shared the clip on X (formerly Twitter), captioning it, “Kylian Mbappé gave Rafa Nadal his Real Madrid jersey. Iconic moment between two of the biggest athletes in the world.”

Nadal is known to be Mbappé’s favorite tennis player. Back in 2017, during the French Open, Mbappé expressed his admiration for Nadal and his desire to meet him.

“It’s Nadal who really fascinates me. I didn’t have the opportunity to meet him, but I would like to. Nadal is my favourite because he’s incredible on clay,” Mbappé told France TV, as quoted by the Mirror. A few years later, the former Paris Saint-Germain striker got the chance to fulfill this wish. In a 2021 interview, Mbappé shared that he had met both Rafael Nadal and Swiss tennis great Roger Federer at the French Open.

“I watch basketball and tennis a lot. At Roland Garros, where I love to go, I had the opportunity to chat with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. I admire these champions who have been able to stay on top for many years. It’s not for everyone to have such consistency,” Mbappé was quoted as saying by Paris Match magazine.

Mbappé also showcased his scoring ability during his Real Madrid debut in the UEFA Super Cup final, where he scored the second goal, helping Los Blancos secure a 2-0 victory and the title.

Momentazo 🎾⚽️

Mbappé le regala su primera camiseta de liga con el Real Madrid a Nadal pic.twitter.com/bH7S1Jxb8s

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 19, 2024

Kylian Mbappé

This season he played in total once for 90 minutes for La Liga.

Kylian Mbappé didn’t score any goal for Real Madrid. He procured no assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.

His team is currently 16th in La Liga. In the last match Real Madrid drew 1-1 against Mallorca. The next match in La Liga will be against Real Valladolid.

Real Madrid performance and stats

Real Madrid is currently 16th in the La Liga with 1 points.

It has a even goal difference after scoring 1 goals and conceding 1.​

Real Madrid will play the next match in La Liga against Real Valladolid on Sunday 25th of August in Madrid.​