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Real Madrid Rewards Mbappé with the Number 10 Shirt

Real Madrid’s management wants to emphasize one fact: Kylian Mbappé is the club’s number one star and the backbone of Xabi Alonso’s future project. They are considering a move that will cement this notion both within the dressing room and among the players.

The French international joined Real Madrid last summer after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired and found himself in fierce competition with Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, all of whom want to be the top scorer at the Santiago Bernabéu, even if their personal relationship is amicable.

It seems that after Real Madrid’s difficult last season, Florentino Pérez’s management has reached an important conclusion: Mbappé is the most important player now and in the future. He has already surpassed Bellingham and Vinicius, as evidenced by the numbers and actions.

A strongly worded message from Alonso to Mbappé and Vinicius, and a threat of exclusion!

Real Madrid Decides to Give Mbappé the Number 10 Shirt

Marca revealed in a new report that there has been growing consideration within Real Madrid in recent days regarding the possibility of giving Mbappé the number 10 shirt, reserved for club legends, for him to wear starting next season.

The legendary shirt is worn by Luka Modrić, who announced his departure from the Spanish capital after a 12-year career, following Real Madrid’s participation in the Club World Cup in the United States.


Mbappé has traditionally worn the number 7 shirt during his career with Paris Saint-Germain, but the number has been reserved for Vinicius Junior for years. While Modrić had the number 10, the 25-year-old’s preferred number with the French national team, he has decided to wear the number 9 shirt for his first season.

Now, with Modric’s departure, Real Madrid’s management believes that giving Mbappé the number 10 shirt will give him more confidence, while also indirectly confirming to Vinicius and Bellingham that the French international is currently the leader of the project.

At the same time, Marca noted that the number 10 will increase sales for the club, in addition to the marketing, branding, and leadership benefits it will bring to the player himself.

Mbappé is living the Cristiano Ronaldo experience

Mbappé’s switch from the number 9 to the number 10 will be similar to what happened to his idol Cristiano Ronaldo when he moved to Los Blancos in 2009 and found the number 7 in the possession of legendary Raúl González, before the latter left for Schalke 04. Ronaldo then took the number 7 and immortalized his name among the legends of Real Madrid for nine years.

While Mbappé has preferred the number 7 and its variants for most of his career, he also prefers the number 10, having worn it for years with the French national team and before that with Monaco. He welcomes the idea of ​​also wearing it with Real Madrid, given its great value.

Throughout Real Madrid’s history, the number 10 has been worn by many legends, the most recent being Luka Modrić, and before him by James Rodriguez, Mesut Özil, Lassana Diarra, Wesley Sneijder, Robinho, Luís Figo, Clarence Seedorf, Raymond Kopa, and others.

Mbappé’s Record with Real Madrid in His First Season

Kylian Mbappé won two titles with Real Madrid in his first season with the club: the UEFA Super Cup, defeating Atalanta, and the Club World Cup, defeating Pachuca in the final in Qatar.

While Real Madrid failed to win any domestic title in the three competitions they participated in—La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Super Cup—and was eliminated from the Champions League in the quarter-finals, Mbappé has shown impressive performances, especially in the top-flight competitions, a fact confirmed by the numbers.

Official: Mbappé is Real Madrid’s most successful goalscorer in his first season

In La Liga, Mbappé scored 31 goals and finished as the competition’s top scorer. In the Champions League, he scored seven goals, in addition to two in the Copa del Rey. Overall, he contributed 48 goals in 56 matches last season, scoring 43 and assisting five.

These numbers are significantly higher than those of Vinicius Junior. Furthermore, the Frenchman’s impact in matches like El Clásico and in the Champions League far exceeded that of the Brazilian and Bellingham, which explains Real Madrid’s decision to prioritize his efforts over the other two.