Just days after securing the Champions League, Real Madrid announced its ambitions to maintain its domestic and European dominance with the announcement that the former Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappé had joined the club on a five-year deal.
Mbappé, 25, who is with the France squad preparing for the European championships in Germany, signalled his intention to leave PSG on 10 May.
Though he gave no indication of where he would play next, it was widely assumed a deal had been struck with Madrid.
“A dream come true,” Mbappé said on X. “So happy and proud to join the club of my dream. Nobody can understand how excited I am right now. Can't wait to see you, Madridistas (Madrid fans), and thanks for your unbelievable support. ¡Hala Madrid!”
Un sueño hecho realidad.
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) June 3, 2024
Muy feliz y orgulloso de formar parte del club de mis sueños @realmadrid Es imposible explicar lo feliz y emocionado que me siento en este momento. Estoy impaciente por veros, Madridistas, y gracias por vuestro increíble apoyo.
¡Hala Madrid! 🤍🤍🤍
A… pic.twitter.com/YTumusAXT6
The post, with the message written in English, Spanish and French, was accompanied by photos of a young Mbappé wearing a Madrid jacket while visiting the club. One photo was with the then Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo.
The club also posted a video on its website showing Mbappé highlights. At the beginning, a voiceover says, “Are you watching closely?
#WelcomeMbappé pic.twitter.com/uYVKdpQUrN
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) June 3, 2024
Last Saturday, Madrid extended its supremacy in the Champions League – European club football's most prestigious competition – with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
It was Madrid's ninth triumph in the Champions League tournament which emerged from the European Cup in 1992. Madrid lifted the trophy six times in the original format of the competition which had only been open to champions of the various European leagues since its inception in 1955.
Haul
Mbappé joined PSG in 2017 after helping Monaco to the Ligue 1 title. During his seven years in the capital, he harvested 15 medals including six Ligue 1 titles. He became PSG's record scorer with 256 goals in 308 games and the marksmanship helped him to a plethora of awards: he was named Ligue 1 Player of the Season a record five consecutive times and he claimed the Ligue 1 "Golden Boot" from 2019 to 2024.
The announcement ends one of the worst kept secrets in modern football.
At the start of the 2021 season, PSG turned down Madrid's bid to sign Mbappé for around 200 million euros.
But with Mbappé’s contract expiring in July 2022, Madrid supremo Florentino Perez assumed that Mbappé, who had never hidden his desire to turn out for the Spanish club, would move there as a free agent.
But French President Emmanuel Macron encouraged him to stay at PSG and Mbappé stunned the Madrid hierarchy by signing a two-year deal in May 2022 with the option of a third year.
"I'm going to remain in my hometown and do what I like doing ... playing football and winning more trophies," said Mbappé as his contract extension was announced to a delirious horde of PSG fans before the game against Metz at the Parc des Princes.
Failure
But even with Neymar and Lionel Messi, PSG failed to make any inroads in the Champions League and the call of Madrid resurfaced at the start of the 2023/2024 season when Mbappé said he would not take up the option of a further year and leave as a free agent in June 2024.
Outraged, the PSG hierarchy told new boss Luis Enrique to go on a tour without their star striker. But he was eventually reintegrated into the first team squad and PSG swept the board domestically winning the French Super Cup, Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France.
in Madrid, Mbappé will link up with stars such as the England midfielder Jude Bellingham and the Brazil striker Vinícius Júnior. The Madrid squad also features fellow France internationals Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Ferland Mendy.
Monaco, who finished the 2023/24 campaign second behind PSG, wished Mbappé success on social media.
De la Cantera Rojiblanca a la Casa Blanca ❤️🤍 🤝 🤍
— AS Monaco ES 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco_ES) June 3, 2024
Éxitos, @KMbappe🔥 #MadeInLaDiagonale pic.twitter.com/X99aTw2xNY
The club posted a photo of the boy Mbappé holding a Monaco shirt in front of several posters of Madrid players.
Just a decade later, Mbappé is a Madrid man.
