Kylian Mbappe will don an iconic new shirt number for Real Madrid following the departure of one of the club’s all-time greats.
The 26-year-old French forward wore the number nine shirt in his debut season after arriving from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last summer.
But like Cristiano Ronaldo in 2010, it’s taken only one year for Mbappe to ditch the nine as he takes up the number he has become accustomed to wearing for the French national team.
The club announced on Tuesday that he would follow Real Madrid greats Ferenc Puskas, Clarence Seedorf and Luis Figo by wearing the iconic number 10 jersey at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The number’s vacancy comes after Luka Modric's departure to AC Milan, who bid farewell to Los Blancos after a glittering 13-year stint in the Spanish capital. The Croatian lifted 28 trophies with Real, including six Champions League titles and four LaLiga crowns, as well as a Ballon d’Or to boot.
Mbappe, meanwhile, failed to lift a major trophy in his first season, but nevertheless scored 44 goals in all competitions in the 2024/25 season.
Among the other elite players to wear the number 10 shirt for Real Madrid is Gheorghe Hagi, Michael Laudrup, Robinho and Mesut Ozil.
Additional reporting from Reuters
