MADRID, Spain — Kylian Mbappé smiled as he looked at the Real Madrid fans filling the stands at the Santiago Bernabéu. He had waited a long time to say those words.
“Wow. It's incredible to be here. I dreamed of playing for Real Madrid for many years. Today that dream has come true.”
The story is already well known: Mbappé followed Real Madrid as a child, visited the club on trial, almost joined them in 2017 and again in 2022. Now, Mbappé has truly arrived, officially signing a five-year contract on Tuesday after leaving Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Such a long wait deserves a warm welcome and Real Madrid fans agreed, flocking to the stadium to greet him. The crowd made it feel like a La Liga pre-season day, but it was just one man. The vendors didn’t disappoint either, with Mbappé shirts, scarves and face masks available. The club’s new store, built on the side of the refurbished Bernabéu, was converted into the Kylian Mbappé store. His face was displayed from floor to ceiling on giant screens, and the shelves were packed almost exclusively with his shirts.
Fans had queued for hours under the Madrid sun, with temperatures close to 37 degrees Celsius, waiting for the stadium gates to open before the kick-off at midday. All tickets, which were made available to club members free of charge, had sold out days before.
The Bernabéu stadium was turned into a stage for the occasion. At one end, where one of the goals is usually located, a huge podium was placed with a giant screen behind it, on which Madrid's 15 European Cups were displayed. In front of it, there were seats for guests, family and friends, as well as the Madrid club's directors, and a large space for photographers and television cameras. A blue walkway was designed to guide Mbappé from the tunnel to the pitch.
Fifteen years ago, an almost impossible standard was set for player presentations at the Bernabéu when, on the evening of 6 July 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo was presented at his new home. The stadium was packed with 85,000 fans to greet the Ballon d'Or winner, and people spilled out of the stands and onto the pitch.
A club employee told ESPN that they had never seen anything like it that day. It was described as the biggest event of its kind, surpassing Diego Maradona's presentation at Napoli in 1984. Alfredo di Stefano and Portugal's Eusebio were on hand to accompany Ronaldo, and even the player was impressed.
Will Mbappé's even more eagerly awaited arrival live up to expectations?
For starters, Tuesday's crowd wasn't as big as the one Ronaldo attended. There were blocks of empty seats at either end, behind the goals, and no crowds on the pitch, with scattered seating around the stands. It's estimated there were at least 70,000 in attendance, and the club estimates the figure is closer to 80,000. Either way, the fans who were there made their presence felt.
The first significant roar from the crowd came when Mbappé appeared on the giant screens at the Bernabéu entering the stadium. There was another when he was shown backstage putting on his new number nine shirt. A third came when the architect of Mbappé’s arrival, president Florentino Pérez, emerged 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.
The crowd was entertained by videos of Madrid's Champions League highlights – Zidane's 2002 volley against Bayer Leverkusen sparked the biggest cheer – before being shown highlights of Mbappé's career to date, including photos of him as a child, in a Madrid shirt. When the preamble was over, Perez spoke first. He introduced Mbappé, calling him “the kid who is now the star”.
After years of failed attempts, failed attempts and managerial changes, things became almost surreal. Mbappé walked out onto the pitch dressed in the full Madrid shirt, smiling and waving to the crowd.
“You fell in love with Real Madrid as a child,” Perez said. “I know you will 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 all obstacles and be here. You are here because you wanted to be. Thank you for making the effort to wear this shirt.”
That last line was an open reference to Mbappé’s very public struggle to leave Paris Saint-Germain, which saw Madrid’s efforts to sign him in 2021 and 2022 rebuffed. Admittedly, Mbappé had to fight to be here, refusing to bow to pressure to exercise an option to extend his PSG contract until 2025, and claiming he could leave for free this summer.
5:25
Kylian Mbappé's first speech as a Real Madrid player in full
Kylian Mbappé addresses a packed Santiago Bernabéu as he is introduced as a new Real Madrid player.
It was also clear that while it was a big day for Mbappé, it was equally a big day for Pérez. No signing had taken so long or required so much patience, care and discretion. When Mbappé finally got the chance to speak, he did so in near-perfect Spanish.
“I want to thank the president [Perez] “First of all,” Mbappé said. “He believed in me from the beginning. A lot of things happened… but I want to thank him. I want to thank everyone who worked so that I could come here. I know it was difficult, but now I'm here.”
The crowd chanted for him to “kiss the badge” and Mbappé complied, before posing for photos and taking a lap around the pitch.
“I was sure the time would come”
Despite being an occasion worthy of music or pyrotechnics, it was a very Madrid-style presentation. There were no fireworks, no light show, no histrionics. It was austere and a little old-fashioned. Later, in the Bernabéu press room beneath the stadium, there was time to reflect on that long wait to get to Real Madrid as Mbappé faced his first questions from the media.
In that context, Mbappé's performance was superlative, the French star demonstrated his charm and charisma. One thing is clear: he has been preparing for this moment for a long, long time.
At a 40-minute news conference, he answered most questions in fluent Spanish, often without needing to check the interpreter's translation. He only switched to French to answer journalists who had flown in from Paris to cover his arrival, impressing the Madrid-based media.
“It was a dream,” Mbappé repeated when asked about the exact moment he decided to sign for Madrid. “Then it became a goal. I was close to signing for Real Madrid two years ago and three years ago. It's part of a footballer's life.”
He said his first memories in Madrid were seeing Zidane, the man responsible for bringing him to the club on trial and arguably the first step on the path that brought him here.
“When Christian [Ronaldo] I arrived, I watched all the matches… I watched Cristiano's presentation [in 2009] with my family. Like any child, I said, “One day, I want to be like him.”
Despite failing to sign in 2021 and 2022, Mbappé said he never had any doubts. “I was sure the time would come,” he said. “For me, Madrid was the only option. I had offers from many clubs. But I always said that when I left Paris, I would go to Real Madrid.”
When asked, he did not give many details. Mbappé was reluctant to discuss his struggle to leave PSG, or say whether he will need surgery to repair the broken nose he suffered with France at Euro 2024, or exactly how he will fit into Madrid's forward line alongside Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo Goes.
Before his presentation – and after passing the medical examination early in the morning – Mbappé made a stop at the training ground, where he met with coach Carlo Ancelotti and the handful of players who have already returned to pre-season training ahead of the club's tour of the United States. “I will play wherever the coach says.” [Ancelotti] “I want to play in all three positions in attack,” Mbappé said. “The most important thing is to be physically and mentally fit to help the team.”
“For me there is no debate. I want to be on the field, but where I play… I don't care.”
Now that fans have seen Mbappé in a Madrid shirt, they will want more, but he does not know when his broken nose – and the need to rest after a long season – will allow him to play. “We spoke this morning with the medical team,” he said. “We will see what we do. I hope I can play next year.” [UEFA] Super Cup [against Atalanta on August 14]… The tour in the United States, we'll see. If the club wants me to go, I'll go.”
When that long-awaited debut arrives, a new era begins and Real Madrid, the reigning champions of Spain and Europe, have a new star. Tuesday was just the beginning.
