The world is reacting to Kylian Mbappé becoming Real Madrid’s new No. 10, with the Frenchman himself weighing in on the monumental decision.
Mbappé beat out Arda Güler and Jude Bellingham to inherit Luka Modrić’s iconic shirt. Although the 26-year-old starred in his debut campaign while wearing the number nine on his back, the France superstar now gets the honor of owning a shirt previously worn by the winningest player in club history.
Real Madrid subtly confirmed the number change on their website before officially announcing the switch on social media with the first images of Mbappé’s new shirt.
KM🔟 pic.twitter.com/D40IvA2ACE
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) July 29, 2025
It did not take long for Mbappé to share his own message on social media, along with a teaser of what the new shirt will look like on the forward ahead of the 2025–26 season.
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) July 29, 2025
Instead of opting for a grand message, Mbappé simply shared the “NEW” emoji. The post comes just six days after the France captain posted, “10” on X.
The ex-Paris Saint-Germain man is the first player in eight years not named Modrić to wear the No. 10 for Real Madrid. Previous owners of the shirt include Ferenc Puskás, Luís Figo, Clarence Seedorf and Mesut Özil.
The new number for Mbappé is a major statement from Real Madrid. The club’s decision to bestow the honor of the No. 10 to a player who only made the move to the Spanish capital last year shows just how much Los Blancos value the forward, who took home the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Boot last season.
Mbappé will now don the same number for club and country. The goalscorer will officially debut his new shirt on Tuesday, Aug. 19, when Los Blancos kick off their 2025–26 La Liga campaign at the Santiago Bernabéu against Osasuna.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kylian Mbappe Breaks Silence on Real Madrid Number Change .
