Kylian Mbappe is set to break a Real Madrid record before he even kicks a ball for the club, following confirmation the France international will be wearing the number nine next season.
The Frenchman's move to Real Madrid was confirmed following the club's Champions League win in June, following the announcement the forward released the following statement via X.
He wrote: "A dream come true. So happy and proud to join the club of my dreams, Real Madrid.
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"Nobody can understand how excited I am right now. Can't wait to see you, Madridistas, and thanks for your unbelievable support. Hala Madrid!"
With both of Mbappe's traditional numbers of seven and ten both taken at Madrid by high-profile stars, fans were unsure which number their new starman would be sporting.
However, it has since been confirmed that Mbappe will be following in his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo's footsteps by wearing the number nine in his debut season at the Bernabeu.
Since the announcement, the demand for Mbappe's shirt has gone off the charts, with the online store completely overwhelmed with orders of 'Mbappe 9' shirt.
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Spanish media outlet MARCA have reported that the demand for Mbappe's has completely smashed any previous club records, with the usual 3-4 day wait for delivery now between 4-6 weeks.
Mbappe's Real Madrid presentation will go ahead on July 16th, two days after the Euro 2024 final in Berlin.
Tickets for the historic occasion go on sale on Friday but there are already over 100,000 people in an online queue for a ticket in the 85,000-capacity stadium.
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The presentation is likely to be on a similar scale to Ronaldo's Bernabeu reveal, and could even surpass the numbers of 2009.
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Tom Jenkins