Kylian Mbappé was officially unveiled as a Real Madrid player in front of tens of thousands of fans at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday.
Los Blancos announced last month that the club had signed Mbappé to a five-year deal, ending the French superstar’s seven-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain.
A montage of Real’s successes throughout history and the sound of Luciano Pavarotti’s rendition of “Nessun Dorma” precluded Mbappé’s entrance into the stadium, followed by a highlight reel of the French superstar’s goals shown on a big screen.
This has been a highly-anticipated moment for Real Madrid fans, who have long been hopeful of seeing the 25-year-old – rated among the best current players in the world – wear their club’s famous white jersey.
Having won a 15th European crown at the end of last season, Real has only strengthened its squad, which already includes the likes of Vinícius Jr. and Jude Bellingham, with the signing of Mbappé.
“It’s an incredible day for me, incredible,” the forward told those inside the stadium. “Since I was a boy, I had only one dream: to play here. And to be here now means a lot to me.
“Because of that, I want to thank every madridista because, since years ago, you’ve given me a lot of affection, a lot of love – that goes directly to my heart. And so I want to say thank you to everyone to let me be here today.”
After his speech, Mbappé greeted fans in attendance, signing autographs and kicking footballs into the stands.
