As if winning the UEFA Championship wasn’t enough, Kylian Mbappé announced he would join Real Madrid next season. The captain of the French national team posted a video on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, announcing his departure from Paris St Germain.
Courtesy of KMbappe on X
It seems that winning La Liga 36 times and the Champions League 15 times wasn't enough for Real Madrid. Last season, Karim Benzema's departure left a vacancy, so Real Madrid was looking for a superstar striker to fill the role. With 44 goals in 48 appearances last season alone, Mbappé is undoubtedly the player for the job. The 25-year-old striker has been a longtime club fan, sharing photos of himself meeting Cristiano Ronaldo in a Real Madrid kit.
"A dream come true," he wrote. "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!"
Courtesy of KMbappe on X
Mbappé will join the star-studded team consisting of Ballon d’Or favorites Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham, coached by Italian Carlo Ancelotti, who has become the most successful coach in Champions League history with five titles.
While Mbappé is joining Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer after the end of his contract, the deal still involves a huge outlay by the La Liga club. Reports suggest the 25-year-old will be paid a signing bonus of €150 million (£127.7m; $163m), along with a €15m yearly salary.
Courtesy of Getty Images
While Mbappé has won several trophies in his time at PSG, the Champions League remains the final piece to complete his collection of titles and honors. In his time with PSG, he won six Ligue 1 titles and four French Cups, finishing his career as the club's all-time top scorer with 256 goals.
When the transfer was completed, Mbappe became the second-most expensive player of all time after his former Paris St Germain teammate Neymar, who was signed for €222 million from Barcelona in 2017.
Mbappé’s contract with Paris St Germain is set to expire on June 30th, after which he will be able to focus on captaining France in the Euros set to begin on June 14th.
Edited by: Sarah Muñoz