Still celebrating Spain's Euro 2024 triumph, Real Madrid fans will have even more to cheer about today.
French superstar Kylian Mbappe will be officially presented at the packed Santiago Bernabeu stadium on July 16, AFP reported.
With an expected attendance of 85,000, the stadium will be packed to capacity for Mbappe's first appearance in front of the fans, which is set to break the record set 15 years ago by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Although tickets are free, they sold out quickly, with some fans reportedly trying to resell them to capitalize on the hype surrounding the arrival of the world's best striker.
In the morning, Mbappe will sign his new five-season contract with Real president Florentino Perez, before entering the stadium at noon local time to greet fans and then hold a press conference.
Although his new team-mates began training on July 15, the forward, who captained France during the Euros, will have a few more days off before the season kicks off in the Spanish capital.
Club medics will want to examine his nose, which was broken during France's 1-0 win over Austria on June 18 during the group stage, although France were later knocked out in the semi-finals by Spain.
For Mbappe and Real Madrid, this is the culmination of a long-awaited relationship.
The 25-year-old - who says he has always been a Los Blancos and Ronaldo fan - will wear the No.9 shirt, which went on sale on July 11 in Real stores, which are covered with his image.
Coming from Paris Saint-Germain, who he joined in 2017, Mbappe arrives after a disappointing Euro campaign for himself, in which his star image was overshadowed by that of Spain's new teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.
After a difficult season at PSG, he decided not to renew his contract. The striker - who is the Parisian club's all-time top scorer - admitted he felt "liberated, relieved" by his move to Real.
"It's a huge pleasure and a dream come true. It's the club I've always dreamed of being at," he said in June.
"I'm going there with a lot of excitement and with a lot of humility," added Mbappe.
At Real, he will form part of a new attacking trio alongside England midfielder Jude Bellingham and Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior under Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti.
And the prospect is already exciting the fans of the club, which in June won its 15th title in the Champions League.
Also the current Spanish La Liga title holders, Los Blancos open their campaign against Real Mallorca when the season kicks off on the weekend of August 17-18.
However, Mbappe's debut may have to wait until next week when Real Madrid face Real Valladolid, who were recently promoted from the second division.
The club hopes to offset the costs - a salary of €15m per season and a signing bonus of more than €100m - through sponsorship deals and ticket and merchandise sales, among other things.
Mbappe hopes the move will finally allow him to win the Champions League and Ballon d'Or - two of his life's goals. | BGNES
