Kylian Mbappe was deeply moved by the overwhelming affection shown by Los Galacticos' fans during his unveiling as a Real Madrid player. In a heartfelt speech, the longtime fan of the club pledged to dedicate his "life for the club."
Mbappe's connection with Real Madrid traces back to the start of his career. Linked to the Spanish giants since 2017, the French superstar finally made his dream move ahead of the 2024/25 season, officially presented at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.
“It’s an incredible day for me and I’ve always dreamed of playing here. I’ve been very fond of Real Madrid fans for a long time and I thank them from the bottom of my heart. Now I have another dream: the dream to fulfil is to live up to the history of this club, the best in the world. I’m going to give my life for this club and for this badge,” Mbappe expressed with excitement.
Mbappe's admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo is well-known, having been inspired by the former Real Madrid star. Photos of a young Mbappe with Ronaldo posters in his room frequently surface. During his presentation, Mbappe recreated Ronaldo’s iconic moment by exclaiming, "Uno, dos, tres, Hala Madrid!" and mimicking Ronaldo's pose.
“Today I’m the one here, but next time it could be one of you. The biggest club in the history of football. I’m not going to say much more because otherwise I’m going to cry. Now we’re all going to shout together like a big family: ‘Uno, dos, tres, Hala Madrid!’” Mbappe said, echoing his idol.
Mbappe's transfer to Real Madrid can largely be credited to Florentino Perez. The Real Madrid president has pursued Mbappe for years, eventually succeeding in bringing him from PSG, who were reluctant to part with their star player.
Perez reminisced about Mbappe's early encounter with Real Madrid, when he trained with the team at age 12 on Zinedine Zidane's recommendation.
“12 years ago, Zizou invited a boy to our training ground, and he is now the star who will help us to succeed in the future. Today we welcome Kylian Mbappe. Welcome to your home, and congratulations for achieving your dream. I know what this means to you and your family. We saw how your eyes shone when you came here at the age of 13,” Perez stated while presenting Mbappe.
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