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Kylian Mbappe making his first appearance as a Real Madrid player. (Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
By George Ramsay, CNN
(CNN) — 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.
His official unveiling concludes one of the longest-running transfer sagas in soccer, with Mbappé long harboring ambitions of a move to the Spanish capital.
Despite his considerable success in domestic competitions – winning six French league titles with PSG and one with AS Monaco – he is yet to add a Champions League to his list of career achievements.
Mbappé played more than 300 games for PSG, scoring his 250th goal in March, and with France, he won the World Cup in 2018 and the Golden Boot in 2022, leading scoring at the tournament with eight goals.
At the recently concluded European Championships, he captained France to a semifinal defeat against eventual champion Spain.
“Now, I have another dream,” Mbappé added at his unveiling. “This is a dream that I have to accomplish: it’s to meet the expectations of the history of this club, the best in the world. I can say one thing: I’m going to give my life for this club and for this badge.”
The star evoked another soccer superstar in his presentation at multiple points: Cristiano Ronaldo. Mbappé mimicked his childhood hero by kissing the club badge at one point before telling those assembled in the Bernabéu, “I’m going to say one, two, three and we’re all going to say together, ‘Hala Madrid’ like one big family,” echoing Ronaldo’s actions during his own Los Blancos presentation in the summer of 2009. “One, two, three… Hala Madrid!”
Mbappé’s parents were among the huge crowd in the stands for his unveiling as a Real player, while club legend Zinedine Zidane also greeted him as he stepped into the stadium.
Also on Tuesday, Real announced that Mbappé had successfully completed his medical at the Hospital Universitario Sanitas La Moraleja in Madrid.
The-CNN-Wire
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