Real Madrid has officially completed its acquisition of French star Kylian Mbappe, ending years of a transfer saga riddled with back-and-forth negotiations.
In addition to putting ink on paper on the forward's contract, the Spanish giants have also confirmed the jersey number for arguably the world's best player.
Mbappe is expected to wear the shirt number 9 in his debut season for Real Madrid in the 2024-25 season, as reported by French outlet Le Parisien.
The number has been vacant for the club since Karim Benzema last wore it from 2010-11 until his final season in the Spanish capital in 2022-23.
Cristiano Ronaldo also wore the number 9 for Real Madrid during his debut season with the club in 2009-10 before switching to number 7 for the rest of his tenure in the squad until 2018.
This will be the first time that Mbappe will wear #9. He previously wore #7 during his entire stint for Paris Saint-Germain except for his debut season there, and he currently wears #10 for the France national team.
Vinicius Jr. currently wears the number 7 shirt for Real Madrid, while Luka Modric has the #10 on his back.
Kylian Mbappe could switch Real Madrid jersey number in 2025
The Frenchman's kit number 9 may only last for his debut season, similar to Ronaldo's situation.
Reports indicate that Mbappe could switch to his preferred choice, number 10, in the 2025-26 season if Modric decides to depart the club or retire.
Modric recently signed a new one-year contract with the club for the 2024-25 season, and neither Mbappe nor his camp requested the Croatian midfielder's jersey number out of respect.
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