Fresh off winning its record 15th UEFA Champions League title, Real Madrid has officially signed superstar forward Kylian Mbappé. According to soccer journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Real Madrid will announce the addition of Mbappé next week after he verbally committed to the Spanish soccer giant in February.
Mbappé has been linked with Real Madrid for several years. The 25-year-old France national team captain grew up as a fan of the La Liga club and even took Spanish lessons as a teenager to speak the language fluently.
Despite this, Paris Saint-Germain has repeatedly and often successfully fought to keep Mbappé at the club, even enlisting the help of French president Emmanuel Macron at one point to convince the superstar to remain in his native country.
The relationship between Mbappé and PSG has soured in recent years. After reportedly flirting with Real Madrid last offseason, Mbappé confirmed in May that this current season would be his last with PSG.
Mbappé is a sports icon in France due to his legendary national team career. At the age of 19, he scored four goals in the 2018 FIFA Men's World Cup, helping Les Bleus win the title. He was named the Best Young Player in the tournament and became the first male teenager to both score a brace in a World Cup match and score in the World Cup Final since Pelé.
Four years later, in the 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup, Mbappé won the Golden Boot after scoring eight goals, almost leading an injury-plagued France squad to a repeat World Cup title.
However, France lost to Argentina, captained by Mbappé's then-PSG teammate Lionel Messi, in the final despite a hat trick from Mbappé.
Real Madrid's attacking trio now includes Mbappé, Brazilian forward Vinícius Junior, and English midfielder Jude Bellingham. This trio is expected to become one of the greatest in the club's history.
Bellingham's addition last season helped Madrid bounce back from a disappointing 2022-23 season. Led by Vinícius and Bellingham, Carlo Ancelotti's team won the Spanish La Liga and Supercopa titles, as well as the Champions League.
Both Vinícius and Bellingham are strong contenders for this year's Ballon D'Or, FIFA's award for the best men's soccer player in the world.
Mbappé is set to join Real Madrid's current superstars next season. Before that, he will lead France into the 2024 Euros, where they will face Bellingham's talented England squad.
Mbappé has expressed his desire to lead France's men's soccer team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but he will need permission from Real Madrid to do so.
Macron's only comment on the news of Mbappé leaving PSG last month was to urge Real Madrid to grant their incoming star that permission.
