Mbappé debuted for Real Madrid on July 16, breaking the shirt sales record.
Kylian Mbappe has shattered the record for jersey sales at Bernabeu even before his official debut with Real Madrid (scheduled for July 16), following confirmation that he will wear the number 9 shirt for the upcoming season.
According to Marca, Real Madrid plans to hold a grand ceremony to welcome Mbappe on July 16, two days after the EURO 2024 final in Berlin. Given that Mbappe’s iconic numbers, 7 at his club and 10 at the national team level, are already held by Vinicius and Luka Modric at Real Madrid, the 25-year-old striker has decided to emulate Ronaldo by choosing the number 9 jersey for his first season at Bernabeu. Mbappe’s choice also reflects his respect for his new teammates.
Immediately after Mbappe was confirmed as the new owner of the Real Madrid number 9 jersey on September 11, demand for the club’s blockbuster jersey soared, far surpassing the club’s business team’s expectations.
Marca reports that demand for the ‘Mbappe 9’ jersey has completely shattered all previous records at Real Madrid, with standard delivery times increasing from 3-4 days to 4-6 weeks!
Not only did Mbappe cause a frenzy with jersey sales on the first day they were available, but he also caused a commotion among fans trying to secure tickets to his unveiling ceremony at Bernabeu on July 16.
Tickets for today’s event were only released recently, but for several days already, over 100,000 people have been eagerly waiting in line, hoping to be among the 85,000 spectators (the stadium’s capacity) who will witness Mbappe officially donning the Real Madrid jersey.
Real Madrid confirmed Mbappe’s transfer at the beginning of June, shortly after winning the Champions League title at Wembley. The French forward himself expressed that it was a dream come true for him and he eagerly awaited that moment.
During EURO 2024, Mbappe scored only one penalty goal due to a nose injury sustained in France’s opening match against Austria. He missed the match against the Netherlands but returned wearing a protective mask, and in the final group stage match against Poland, France drew 1-1.
However, in the final match against Spain, where France lost 1-2, Mbappe played without needing the protective mask.