SPAIN The moment Kylian Mbappe shouted “One, two, three, go Madrid” at the Real launch ceremony on the afternoon of July 16 was exactly like what his idol Cristiano Ronaldo did 15 years ago.
Mbappe and Ronaldo chanted the slogan “One, two, three, go to Madrid” at the Real Madrid launch ceremony.
The iconic slogan was used by Ronaldo at his Real Madrid debut in the summer of 2009, after moving from Man Utd, with a contract with a record value at that time of nearly 100 million USD. 15 years later, Mbappe did the same after a speech about five minutes long, with his arms raised, chorused by more than 80,000 spectators at the Bernabeu.
“I did it to express my gratitude and respect to my idol Cristiano Ronaldo,” Mbappe said after the unveiling ceremony. “He is a friend who always gives me advice, that I should always work and get involved in football”.
Kylian Mbappe and moments reminiscent of Ronaldo at his Real Madrid debut.
10 days ago, Mbappe and France eliminated Portugal in the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 , after winning 5-3 in the penalty shootout. Mbappe felt sorry for his senior, but emphasized that what happened in Germany does not change the fact that Ronaldo is a legend of Real and world football.
The striker born in 1998 has repeatedly affirmed that Ronaldo is his idol, although Lionel Messi can be considered the best. In 2012, Mbappe was invited by fellow country legend Zinedine Zidane to visit the Bernabeu and meet the players, then take a photo with Ronaldo. He said he watched all of his idol’s matches, then joked: “Now I can’t watch him anymore because it’s my turn to play”.
The number of spectators coming to the Bernabeu to watch Mbappe was larger than 75,000 when Ronaldo debuted. Another difference is that Ronaldo’s path is designed as a high platform and the audience on the field must look up. Besides, Ronaldo came to Real when he had nine Champions League titles, while when Mbappe arrived he was 15 and ranked on the stage.
But the two also had more things in common when they debuted for Real, like kissing the logo on the chest at least twice, or wearing the number 9 shirt, even though Ronaldo’s symbolic shirt number is 7 and Mbappe’s is 10. When Ronaldo arrived , number 7 belongs to the legendary Raul Gonzalez, but it only took one season to inherit when “Lord of the Rings” left the Bernabeu for German club Schalke 04. Meanwhile, Real’s current number 10 belongs to the 38-year-old veteran. Luka Modric.
“I don’t care too much about this issue”, Mbappe said. “I don’t see behind, only forward. Number 9 is also a symbol at Real and I’m happy to inherit it”.
Real’s most recent excellent number 9 is Karim Benzema. Before that, it belonged to a series of famous strikers in world football history, including Alfredo Di Stefano, Santinalla, Hugo Sanchez, Ivan Zamorano, Fernando Moerientes or “fat” Ronaldo.
Mbappe waved to the audience as he walked out onto the Bernabeu field.
Mbappe ‘s appearance helps Real create “Galacticos 3.0”, with a very strong attack, along with Jude Bellingham, Vinicius and Rodrygo. He also said that Vinicius often sent invitation messages to Real, along with French compatriots such as Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga or Ferland Mendy. Mbappe said: “Good players have to play together and I don’t think there will be any problems. Everything at Real has been going perfectly for the past three seasons and I’m a newcomer so I have to adapt”.
The French striker said he can play all three positions on the attack in the 4-3-3 formation, and is ready to follow all the coach’s instructions. Before the unveiling ceremony, Mbappe also talked with coach Carlo Ancelotti, along with some Real players such as Lucas Vazquez, Thibaut Courtois, Ibrahim Diaz.
Mbappe cherished the dream of coming to Real many years ago. However, he wants to have his own career to improve himself before moving to the Spanish Royal team. The transfer was supposed to be promoted from the summer of 2021, but PSG insisted on not selling, and eventually had to let Mbappe leave for free this summer. The 25-year-old striker said everything is in the past, and he only wants to think about the present when he achieves his goal of playing for Real.
Mbappe waved to more than 80,000 spectators at the Bernabeu Stadium, at the Real Madrid opening ceremony, on the afternoon of July 16.
Mbappe’s goal is to win the Champions League – the missing club title that he desires most, and at the same time search for the Golden Ball. “There is no better place than Real to win titles,” he said. “But the team is number one, because it will make other things come naturally. The most important thing I need to do is practice, adapt and contribute to the common gameplay”.
Due to a broken nose injury from the Euro, Mbappe has not yet decided to travel with Real to the US, meeting AC Milan on July 31, Barcelona on August 3 and Chelsea on August 6. However, he confirmed that he can play in the first official match, the European Super Cup on August 14, against Europa League defending champion Atalanta, held in Poland.
At Real, Mbappe will receive a salary of 16.28 million USD per year at Real, with a bonus of 162.8 million USD depending on achievement and level of dedication. Mbappe’s contract lasts 5 years, until 2029. He retains a portion of the copyright value of his personal image.
This compensation level is much lower than the $775 million per year that Al Hilal Club promised to pay Mbappe if he agreed to go to Saudi Arabia to play. Even Mbappe’s salary at Real is lower than at PSG. In his final year playing for the home team at Parc des Princes, the French player was paid 81.4 million USD, including 32.56 million USD as a bribe to extend his contract.
