Real Madrid announced the signing of Kylian Mbappe on June 3. Mbappe joins Real Madrid on a free transfer following the expiry of his PSG contract. The forward has signed a five-year contract with Spanish Champions that would keep him at the club until 2029. According to BBC Sport, Mbappe’s contract is worth €15 million net per season averaging €288,000 per week.
This transfer has become the main talking point for the past few days and has social media buzzing. Mbappe himself took to Instagram to post about his arrival at the European Champions.
“A dream come true, So happy and proud to join the club of my dream @realmadrid Nobody can understand how excited I am right now. Can’t wait to see you, Madridistas, and thanks for your unbelievable support. Hala Madrid!,” Mbappe posted.
Several players and celebrities commented on the post including the former Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo. “My turn to 👀 Excited to see you light up the Bernabéu. ⚽️💪 #HalaMadrid,” Ronaldo commented.
This comment generated 4.5 million likes and counting which is a record number of likes on any comment on Instagram. The previous record for the most number of likes on an Instagram comment was 3.7 million on FIVE9’s comment on Reed Harrington’s post.
Mbappe had posted a picture of himself along with Cristiano Ronaldo when he was invited to visit Madrid’s training center at Valdebebas. At that time Mbappe was 14 years old. Zinedine Zidane was the first to recognize the 25-year-old talent, and he even made Mbappe take part in some training sessions.
“He was almost signed by Madrid, but he went to Monaco. We know he was very good at his age,” Zidane admitted.
Mbappe has been idolizing Ronaldo from an early age. In an interview in 2016, the Frenchman’s father revealed that Mbappe wants to become a Madrista in the future and would love to replicate what the Portuguese has managed to achieve in his career.
“He is a Real Madrid fan and his idol is Cristiano Ronaldo. He used to spend hours watching videos [of Ronaldo] on the internet” Mbappe’s father said.
Before joining Real Madrid, Mbappe’s attention will be with the France National team when they participate in the Euro 2024 in Germany. Given their star-studded lineup and recent form, Les Bleus will be one of the favorites to win the competition and Mbappe will have a key role if France wishes to claim the Euros for the first time since 2000.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
