Kylian Mbappé has officially sent the message that he will wear Real Madrid’s prestigious No. 10 jersey in the new season.
With one finger pointed skyward and a slight sideways glance, he shared a photo of himself proudly wearing the pristine white jersey emblazoned with “Mbappé 10” on the back. Alongside it, another image shows the same jersey hanging in the locker room — once again glowing with the name “Mbappé 10.” Through these two posts on social media, Mbappé confirmed that the iconic No. 10 shirt of Real Madrid now belongs to him.
Until now, Luka Modrić carried the weight of this legendary number. After the club’s most successful footballer’s departure was confirmed, it was widely expected that Mbappé would be his successor next season. That expectation has now become a reality.
On July 24, Mbappé had already dropped a subtle hint by posting only “10.” The clue was clear — the only thing left was the formal announcement.
After seven years in club football, Mbappé will once again wear the No. 10 shirt, a number he last wore at his first club, Monaco. When he moved to PSG in 2018, he wore various numbers — 14, 17, and 29 — before settling on the iconic No. 7, inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo. Wearing No. 7, he became PSG’s most successful goalscorer.
However, at Real Madrid, the No. 7 jersey belongs to Vinícius Jr., and the No. 10 was Modrić’s. So, Mbappé wore No. 9 in his first season. That number carried its own weight: he broke scoring records and won his first European Golden Shoe as a Real Madrid player. Now, in his second season at his dream club, he is set to wear his preferred No. 10 jersey.
For the French national team, Mbappé has long worn the No. 10, shining brilliantly in that number. He won the 2018 World Cup wearing it and finished runner-up in the 2022 tournament. Now, he embarks on a new journey to achieve great success wearing No. 10 at club level.
Over the decades, many greats have enhanced the legacy of Real Madrid’s No. 10 — from club legend Ferenc Puskás to Clarence Seedorf, Luís Figo, Robinho, Mesut Özil, James Rodríguez, and Luka Modrić, all of whom shone while donning the shirt.
The last French player to wear the No. 10 for Real Madrid, however, was not a star. In fact, his tenure raised some eyebrows. Defensive midfielder Lassana Diarra wore the number between 2009 and 2011. Despite stints at top clubs including Real, Arsenal, Chelsea, and PSG, he never quite made a significant impact anywhere.
