Kylian Mbappe Joins Real Madrid, Will Wear Jersey Number 9
In a landmark move, French superstar Kylian Mbappe has officially joined Real Madrid, the club announced on Wednesday. Following their triumphs in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League last season, Real Madrid revealed that Mbappe will don the number 9 jersey in his inaugural season with Los Blancos.
Mbappe, 25, transitions to the Spanish giants after departing Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). His decision aligns him with his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, who also wore the number 9 jersey during his early days at Real Madrid. The number 7 jersey, famously associated with Ronaldo, is currently worn by Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior, prompting Mbappe to take on the number 9, previously held by Karim Benzema.
In addition to Mbappe’s announcement, Real Madrid confirmed several jersey number changes for the upcoming 2024/25 season. French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga will now wear the number 6, while Uruguayan midfielder Fede Valverde will switch to number 8, a number vacated by Toni Kroos. Defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni will adopt the number 14 jersey, previously worn by Xabi Alonso and Casemiro. Turkish prodigy Arda Guler will sport the number 15, and Spanish defender Jesus Vallejo will wear number 18.
“Several Real Madrid players will change their jersey numbers at the start of the 2024/25 season,” the club stated. “Camavinga, who until now wore the number 12, will change to 6. Valverde will change from 15 to 8, and Tchouameni will move from 18 to 14. Arda Guler, who wore the number 24 last season, will wear 15, and Vallejo will wear the number 18.”
The club also issued an official statement regarding Mbappe’s arrival: “Real Madrid CF and Kylian Mbappe have reached an agreement under which he will become a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons.”
Mbappe’s illustrious tenure at PSG began in 2017 after his move from AS Monaco. Over his time with PSG, he amassed 256 goals in 308 appearances. The prolific striker, who left his childhood club at the age of 19, had an impressive record in the recent Ligue 1 season, scoring 27 goals and providing 7 assists in 29 matches.
Mbappe has long expressed his ambition to play for Real Madrid, a dream he has now realized. Despite Real Madrid’s persistent efforts to sign him in previous years, including a substantial 220 million euro offer in 2021 that PSG declined, Mbappe was committed to seeing out his contract with the Parisian club before making the move.
With Mbappe now part of their squad, Real Madrid aims to build on their recent successes and continue their dominance in European football. The addition of one of the world’s most talented forwards promises to elevate the team’s performance and excite fans for the upcoming season.
