Kylian Mbappe claims that it was his "destiny" to join Real Madrid and hopes to emulate the success of his idol Cristiano Ronaldo after being formerly presented as a new Los Blancos player on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old's long-anticipated transfer to the Spanish giants was confirmed at the beginning of June and he has now officially joined the club, penning a five-year deal, following the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract at the end of last month.
After a short break following his involvement with France at Euro 2024, Mbappe walked out in front of 80,000 jubilant supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu for his formal presentation as a Real Madrid player, wearing the iconic white jersey with his name and No.9 printed on the back.
Mbappe was introduced to the crowd by club president Florentino Perez; Los Blancos icon Zinedine Zidane was also present as were Mbappe's parents.
"I spent endless nights dreaming about one day playing for Real Madrid and today I am one happy guy," Mbappe said to the crowd at the podium. "I want to thank the president for always believing in me, there have been a lot of things going on but we have done it. Thank you very much. Hala Madrid!"
Mbappe's unveiling was reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo's ceremony back in 2009, with the former recreating the latter's famous "Uno, dos, tres, Hala Madrid!" signature salutation to the Real Madrid fans.
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Mbappe hails influence of his "friend" Cristiano Ronaldo
After his presentation, Mbappe sat down for a press conference and explained why Ronaldo - Real Madrid's all-time record goalscorer and a five-time Ballon d'Or winner - holds a special place in his heart.
"Ending the presentation with 'Un, dos, tres, Hala Madrid' was a nod to Cristiano Ronaldo," Mbappe told reporters. "He is a friend who has made history at this club. He has always given me advice on the game and on the ability to stay connected to your passion.
"It was a tough experience for him at the latest Euros, but he is a huge legend and I would like to send him a big hug."
Mbappe joins Real Madrid after establishing himself as a PSG legend, becoming their all-time record scorer with 256 goals in 308 games and winning a total of 14 trophies, including six Ligue 1 titles, over a seven-year period.
Having now completed his "dream" move to Real Madrid, Mbappe has revealed he has "new dreams and new goals" as he aspires to emulate some of the club's all-time greats in the years to come.
"It's an honour and a huge privilege to be a Real Madrid player," said the Frenchman. "I did expect a great day today but it surpassed my expectations, therefore I would like to thank Real Madrid.
"It's been a dream since I was a kid... this dream came true but it doesn't end here. Now that I'm a Real Madrid player, I have new dreams and new goals. I'm really happy and I can't wait to play my first game as a Real Madrid player.
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Mbappe: 'I'm still a nobody, not a Galactico'
"The exact moment [I decided to join] took place when I was a kid. First it was a dream, then it became a goal. I knew that my destiny was to play for Real Madrid and that one day I would achieve that goal.
"Now I'm so lucky and thank God the dream came true. Now I want to make the most of the experience and enjoy it as much as I can.
"I joined this club with huge ambition but also humility. I want to win as many titles as I can, but the most important thing is to help the team and contribute important things. This is an amazing team, all I want is to be as helpful as possible.
"I want to enjoy my life and to enjoy every single second here. This has been my dream all my life and I really want to be able to tell these stories to my kids one day."
Asked about whether he perceives himself as a Galactico signing, Mbappe added: "I'm still a nobody at Real, I haven't played a single match. Such a welcome when I haven't done anything here yet is incredible.
"Thanks to the fans. I want to show on the pitch what I can do. There is no better place to win titles. If I fit in well, everything will work out. I will put my energy into that to adapt to the team, that is the number one priority."
Mbappe has also revealed that a decision is yet to be made on whether he will undergo surgery on his broken nose sustained at Euro 2024, while he claims that it is up to Real Madrid to decide whether he will link up with Carlo Ancelotti's squad on their pre-season tour of the USA later this month.
