Welcome, Mbappé: Madrid fans can finally welcome the club’s new star

MADRID, Spain — Kylian Mbappé looked up at the Real Madrid fans packed into the stands at the Santiago Bernabeu and smiled. He had waited a long time to say those words.

“Wow. It’s incredible to be here. I’ve dreamed of playing for Real Madrid for many years. Today that dream comes true.”

The story is well known by now: Mbappé followed Real Madrid as a boy, visited the club for trials, almost joined them in 2017 and again in 2022. Now Mbappé has actually 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, streaming into the stadium to greet him. The crowds made it seem like an off-season La Liga matchday, but this was all about one man. The vendors didn’t disappoint either, with Mbappé shirts, scarves and face masks available everywhere. The new club shop, built into the side of the revamped Bernabeu, became the Kylian Mbappé shop. His face was displayed on giant screens from floor to ceiling, the shelves almost exclusively filled with his shirts.

Fans had queued for hours in the Madrid sun, in temperatures of almost 37 degrees Celsius, until the stadium gates opened before kick-off at midday. All tickets – which club members receive free of charge – had been sold out days in advance.

The Bernabeu pitch was transformed into a stage for the occasion. At one end, where one of the goals would normally be, there was a huge podium with a huge screen behind it showing Madrid’s 15 European Cups. In front of it there was seating for invited guests, family and friends, as well as the Madrid club directors, and plenty of space for photographers and TV cameras. A blue walkway was laid out to guide Mbappé from the tunnel across the pitch.

Fifteen years ago, an almost impossible standard was set for player presentations at the Bernabeu when Cristiano Ronaldo was unveiled at his new home on the evening of July 6, 2009. The stadium was filled with 85,000 fans to welcome the Ballon d’Or winner, with people streaming from the stands onto the pitch.

A club official told ESPN that they had never seen such chaos as that day. It was described as the biggest event of its kind, surpassing Diego Maradona’s performance in Naples in 1984. Alfredo di Stefano and Portugal’s Eusebio were there for Ronaldo, and even the player seemed impressed.

Could Mbappé’s arrival – which has been awaited for even longer – live up to expectations?

First of all, the crowd on Tuesday wasn’t quite as big as it was for Ronaldo. Seating blocks at both ends and behind the goals remained empty, there were no crowds on the pitch and seats were spread out in the stands. Estimates put the attendance at at least 70,000, but the club estimates it was closer to 80,000. Either way, the fans in attendance made their presence felt.

The first loud cheer from the crowd came when Mbappé was shown on the Bernabeu’s big screens as he entered the stadium. Another cheer rang out when he was shown backstage putting on his new number 9 shirt. A third cheer rang out when the architect of Mbappé’s arrival, president Florentino Perez, appeared. He walked out and took his place in the front row, followed by the club’s honorary president, Pirri, and a surprise guest: Mbappé’s idol and mentor, Zinedine Zidane.

Viewers were treated to videos of Madrid’s greatest Champions League moments – Zidane’s volley against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 drew the biggest cheer – before being shown Mbappé’s career highlights so far, including photos of him as a boy in a Madrid shirt. After the introduction, Perez was the first to speak, introducing Mbappé and calling him “the boy who is now the star”.

After years of failed attempts, near misses and turnarounds, the whole thing felt almost unreal. Mbappé walked onto the pitch in full Madrid gear, beaming and waving to the crowd.

“You fell in love with Real Madrid as a boy,” said Perez. “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 gave you the strength to overcome all obstacles to get 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 publicly stated struggle to leave Paris Saint-Germain. Madrid’s efforts to sign him were rebuffed in 2021 and 2022. It’s true that Mbappé had to fight to be here. He refused to give in to pressure to exercise an option to extend his PSG contract until 2025 and ensured he could move for free this summer.

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Kylian Mbappe’s first speech as a Real Madrid player in full

Kylian Mbappe speaks to the packed Santiago Bernabéu as he is presented as a new Real Madrid player.

It was also clear that this was not only a big day for Mbappé, but also for Perez. Never before had a contract signing taken so long and required so much patience, care and discretion. When Mbappé finally had the opportunity to speak, he did so in almost perfect Spanish.

“I want to thank the president (Perez) first,” Mbappé said. “He believed in me from the beginning. A lot has happened… but I want to say thank you. I want to thank everyone who worked for me to get here. I know it was difficult, but now I’m here.”

The crowd chanted for him to “kiss the crest” and Mbappé complied before posing for photos and taking a lap around the pitch.

“I was sure the moment would come”

Although the occasion deserved music and pyrotechnics, it was a very typical Real Madrid presentation. There were no fireworks, no light show and no theatrical performances. It was simple and a little old-fashioned. Later, in the Bernabeu press room beneath the stadium, there was still time to reflect on the long wait for his move to Real Madrid, when Mbappé had to face the first questions from the media.

Against this backdrop, Mbappé’s performance was outstanding. The French star showed a brilliant display of charm and charisma. One thing is clear: he has been preparing for this moment for a very, very long time.

In a 40-minute press conference, he answered most questions in effortless Spanish, often without having to check the interpreter’s translation. He switched to French only for answers from journalists who had flown in from Paris to cover his arrival, which impressed the Madrid-based media mob.

“It was a dream,” Mbappé reiterated when asked when he decided to move to Madrid. “Then it became a goal. Two years ago and three years ago I was close to signing for Real Madrid. That’s part of a footballer’s life.”

He said his earliest memories of Madrid were watching Zidane, the man who brought him to the club for a trial and who was arguably the first step on the path that led him here./p>

“When Cristiano (Ronaldo) arrived, I watched every game. I watched Cristiano’s performance (in 2009) with my family. Like any child, I said: ‘One day I want to be like him.'”

Although he failed to secure a transfer in 2021 and 2022, he said he never had any doubts. “I was sure the moment would come,” Mbappé said. “For me, Madrid was the only option. I had offers from many clubs. But I always said that if I left Paris, I would go to Real Madrid.”

When asked, he gave few details. Mbappé would not comment on his struggle to leave PSG, or say whether he will need surgery on the broken nose he sustained at Euro 2024 with France, or how exactly he will fit into Madrid’s attacking line alongside Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo Goes.

Before his presentation – and after his morning medical – Mbappé had stopped off at the training ground to meet coach Carlo Ancelotti and the handful of players who are already back in pre-season training for the club’s US tour. “I will play where the boss (Ancelotti) wants me to,” Mbappé said. “I can play in all three positions in attack. The most important thing is to be in shape physically and mentally to help the team.”

“For me there is no discussion. I want to be on the pitch, but where I play… I don’t care.”

Now that fans have seen Mbappé in the Madrid shirt, they want more, but he does not know when his broken nose – and the need for a break after a long season – will allow him to play. “We spoke with the medical team this morning,” he said. “We will see what we do. I hope I will play the (UEFA) Super Cup (against Atalanta on August 14)… The US tour, we will see. If the club wants me to go, I will go.”

Whenever that long-awaited debut comes, it will be a new era and Real Madrid – already reigning champions of Spain and Europe – will have a new star. Tuesday was just the beginning.