39-year-old striker Cristiano Ronaldo commented that he is excited to see Kylian Mbappe light up the Bernabeu at Real Madrid.
On June 3, Mbappe posted on Instagram four photos of him visiting Real Madrid headquarters in 2012, including one photo taken with Ronaldo at that time. The French captain wrote a comment: “The dream has come true. I am very happy and proud to have joined Real Madrid. No one understands how excited I am. Thank you Real fans for your support, looking forward to seeing you soon. Hala Madrid”.
After more than two hours of posting, Mbappe received a comment from Ronaldo. “It’s my turn to watch you,” captain Al Nassr wrote, with an eye emoji. “I’m excited as I prepare to watch you light up the Bernabeu. Hala Madrid”.
Ronaldo holds the record for scoring the most goals of all time at Real, with 450 goals in 438 matches, and he was also Mbappe’s idol for a time. After many years of expressing his desire to play for Real, Mbappe left for free from PSG in the summer of 2024, accepting a 93% salary reduction to join the Bernabeu. And Ronaldo left Real in the summer of 2018, playing for Juventus, Man Utd and now Al Nassr.
Not only Ronaldo, many other figures at Real also welcomed Mbappe to join the defending Champions League and La Liga champions. Former goalkeeper Iker Casillas wrote on social network X: “Welcome Mbappe to the best club in the world. It’s never too late, if we feel happy. For you, the journey to conquer the 16th Champions League title has begun.”
Striker Rodrygo commented heartily, with the wish: “Welcome Mbappe”. Midfielder Jude Bellingham posted a meme of four players, including Mbappe, Vinicius, Rodrygo and himself, with a grimace emoji. Vinicius also expressed gratitude to scouting director Juni Calafat, as he was instrumental in negotiating and convincing many players to join Real over the years.
Mbappe won the 2018 World Cup and was in the tournament’s typical team. He shined even brighter at the 2022 World Cup when he won the top scorer award, even though France lost to Argentina in the final penalty shootout. Mbappe is considered by many to be the best player after Lionel Messi and Ronaldo, but has never won the Champions League.
