What jersey number will Kylian Mbappe wear at Real Madrid next season?
Kylian Mbappe will reportedly wear the No.9 shirt in his debut season at Real Madrid. The French superstar has finally sealed a blockbuster move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
French outlet Le Parisien reports Mbappe is set to wear the No.9 shirt that the iconic Alfredo Di Stefano donned during his career. It's been vacated since Karim Benzema left for Al-Ittihad last summer.
Kylian Mbappe, 25, will wear the No.9 for one season before taking the No.10 shirt from Luka Modric. The legendary Croatian midfielder, 38, has signed on for one more season but is expected to retire in 2025.
Real Madrid confirmed the 77-cap France captain's capture on Monday (June 3). It came two days after they secured their 15th European title with a 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League final.
Mbappe announced his PSG exit last month, ending six years at the Parc des Princes. He donned the No.7 for the Parisians with whom he became the club's all-time top scorer with 256 goals in 308 games.
Vinicius Junior is Real Madrid's No.7, ruling Mbappe out of being handed his preferred shirt number. The Frenchman will take the No.9 for next season which has also been worn by Los Blancos icon Ronaldo Nazario who Mbappe is often compared to.
Mbappe will focus on Euro 2024 with France before joining up with Carlo Ancelotti's side for pre-season. It was one of the longest transfer sagas in history but finally ended with the former AS Monaco youngster joining Los Merengues.
Kylian Mbappe was reportedly prepared to wait for Real Madrid superstar Luka Modric's No.10
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano delved into Kylian Mbappe's shirt number choice and explained how the forward was respectful. He said that the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner was willing to wait for Modric's No.10 and he wanted to respect the Croatian and La Liga giants.
Modric has been a hero at the Bernabeu since arriving in August 2021. He won his sixth Champions League with Los Blancos after his side's victory against Dortmund.
The legendary Croat's future was uncertain heading into the summer after a more withdrawn role during the 2023-24 campaign. He's put pen to paper on a new one-year deal. He looks set to retire next year once that deal expires which paves the way for Mbappe to take the No.10.