Moving from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid on a five-year contract, Kylian Mbappe described the transfer as a “dream come true” on Monday.
“The Whites have strengthened their squad with a world superstar,” Real said on their website.
“Real Madrid have reached an agreement for the player to be at Real Madrid for the next five seasons,” they added.
The announcement is the culmination of Real’s long courtship of one of the most prolific forwards in world football.
“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,” 25-year-old Mbappe added on social media.
Mbappe was originally courted by Real when they asked the 13-year-old to stay with them for a week in 2012. He was pictured with his hero, Cristiano Ronaldo, during the visit.
Ronaldo, who is currently playing in Saudi Arabia, left a remark on Mbappe’s Instagram post on Monday, pointing at the club symbol while the adolescent was wearing a Real hoodie.
“My turn” to have my eyes on you, wrote Ronaldo. “Excited to see you light up the Bernabeu.”
Mbappe had agreed to move to Real in February and announced in May he would leave PSG at the end of the season.
Real, fresh from winning their 15th Champions League on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, moved to confirm the deal on Monday before Mbappe is involved in pre-Euro 2024 friendlies for France.
“Welcome to the best club in the world,” former Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas posted on X.
“It’s never too late if the feeling is good. With you begins the road to the 16th…”
It was a sentiment echoed by defender Eder Militao, who came on at the end of the victory over Dortmund. “Welcome KMbappe, for the 16th…” wrote the Brazilian on X.
According to estimates in Spain, Mbappe will make 35 million euros ($38 million) a season.
The two-year agreement for roughly 72 million euros before taxes, with loyalty bonuses and a 150 million euro signing-on fee, was Mbappe’s last contract with PSG, which he signed in 2022.
The goalkeepers at the team were pleased with his signing.
“Welcome to your new home,” Belgian Thibaut Courtois posted on X,
“Welcome crack!” said Ukrainian Andriy Lunin on Instagram.
Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga simply posted a picture of himself and Mbappe side by side playing for France.
A World Cup winner as a teenager in 2018, Mbappe scored a club record 256 goals for PSG since joining the Qatar-owned club from Monaco on an initial loan in 2017.
He eventually moved to PSG in a 180-million-euro deal — all at the age of 18.
PSG fell to Bayern Munich in the 2020 Champions League final, despite Mbappe leading them to six Ligue 1 victories.
Even though he scored a hat-trick against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, he was ultimately defeated as Lionel Messi’s team prevailed on penalties.
PSG spent a lot of money to team up Mbappe, Neymar, and Messi in the hopes of solving the Champions League conundrum once and for all. The French club did not do well, though.
As Mbappe’s profile has increased, so has his significance to France as a nation and the French national team.
When a transfer to Real Madrid appeared all but certain in June 2022, President Emmanuel Macron stepped in to convince him to remain at PSG.
