Real Madrid fans, on Tuesday ‘invaded’ the Santiago Bernabéu stadium as French superstar Kylian Mbappe is officially presented.
With an expected attendance of 85,000, the stadium will be packed to the rafters for Mbappe’s first appearance before fans, likely surpassing the record set 15 years ago by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Although the tickets are free, they were snapped up rapidly, with some fans reportedly trying to resell them to take advantage of the hype surrounding the arrival of the world’s best striker.
In the morning, Mbappe will sign his new five-season contract with Real president Florentino Perez. He will then enter the stadium at midday (1000 GMT) to greet fans and hold a press conference.
Although his new teammates began training on Monday, the striker, who captained France during the Euros, will have a few more days off before kicking off his season in the Spanish capital.
Club medics will want to examine his nose, which was broken during France’s 1-0 win over Austria on June 18 during the group stage. France was later knocked out in the semi-finals by Spain.
For Mbappe and Real Madrid, this marks the culmination of a long-awaited liaison. The 25-year-old, who says he has always been a fan of Los Blancos and Ronaldo, will wear the number 9 shirt.
The shirt went on sale last Thursday in Real’s shops, which are now covered with his image.
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