Real Madrid patiently waited until the summer international tournaments ended before officially introducing Kylian Mbappe at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Over 80,000 people are expected to be in attendance for Mbappe’s unveiling on Tuesday. It’s slated to be a grand show with pyrotechnics and a 360-degree view of his walkup to the stage.
It was a highly anticipated move for the 26-year-old to join Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer and president Florentino Perez will conduct the ceremony ringing in the next generation of Galacticos led by the Frenchman. This would be slated to be a bigger unveiling than Cristiano Ronaldo’s in 2009 which drew 75,000 fans.
Mbappe will wear the number nine for Madrid after signing as a free agent at the beginning of June. Looking at the breakdown of the unveiling, there will be a large walkway that Mbappe will come down similar to a concert walkway with fireworks included.
Joining a club that he has admired since he was a kid, this will be quite a moment for Mbappe who arrives with quite a goalscoring pedigree from Paris Saint-Germain. With 175 league goals since 2017-18, Mbappe is second only to Robert Lewandoski for goals scored during that period.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Tuesday, July 16 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Santiago Bernebau — Madrid, Spain
- TV: None | Live stream: Real Madrid Play
Lionel Messi’s unveiling at Inter Miami was an event conducted similarly but Madrid wants this to be a historic moment. Coming off of capturing Champions League and La Liga titles last season, with Mbappe, expectations are only going to get higher for Los Blancos.
During the preseason, Real Madrid will head to the United States on July 28th for a tour that will see them face Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea. Due to taking part in Euros, Mbappe is not expected be involved in those friendlies and instead he’ll join up with Los Blancos when they return to Spain on Aug. 6. Real Madrid’s first LaLiga match is not until Aug. 18 at Mallorca.