Fan reactions to Mbappé's presentation as a Real Madrid player

Few players have had an impact like the one Kylian Mbappé generated in front of a sold-out Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The striker was presented on Thursday, July 16, as Real Madrid’s new summer signing in front of 85,000 people; after years of rumors and failed transfers, the Frenchman finally (officially) wore a Real Madrid shirt for the very first time.

Fan frustration at Mbappé's long Madrid dance

As a presentation of this magnitude deserved, the proceedings were led by Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Pérez, accompanied by the honorary president, José Martínez Pirri, and Zinedine Zidane, the architect behind Kylian Mbappé's love for Los Blancos.

AS USA were present at the stadium in an attempt to find out just how the Madridistas were feeling about an almost six-year novel that divided the fans’ hearts for some time.

Pablo, a young Real Madrid fan, told AS that he and his friends were “rightly excited to see Mbappé finally at Madrid after all these years. At times, it’s been frustrating seeing him nearly arrive but never get the singing over the line”.

However, despite the mixed feelings that have come and gone, Pablo’s enjoyment of Mbappé's moment was palpable: “You can clearly see that the fans are expectant of him in a white shirt and want to see what he can do. It’s a big job. We were crying out for a center-forward last season, and despite the fact that we had Joselu, we needed a world-class player: Mbappé is exactly that”.

Should Kylian Mbappé play as a winger or striker?

There is still a debate about Mbappe’s position in Real Madrid’s starting XI. On the one hand, some fans would like to see the former PSG player as a center forward. Jorge, a Real Madrid fan who came with his two daughters, told AS: “I’d play him as a striker, to be honest. Vini on one side, Rodrygo on the other, Bellingham in behind, it’s what we needed. Imagine that!”

The same is the case of Guadalupe, one of the thousands of fans who traveled hundreds of miles across the country to be present at the Frenchman’s presentation. Guadalupe traveled all the way from southern Spain to the capital, and when asked about Kylian’s position on the pitch, she said: “He’ll break records this season. He can do whatever he wants at the club. Mbappé will play in the middle, as we have good wingers already. The question is on the right as to whether Rodrygo or Brahim will play there”.

On the other hand, some fans think Mbappé's best position at the Bernabéu is on the wing, as is the case of Real Madrid’s supporter Ángel: “He’ll play on the right, and Rodrygo will be on the bench.” He then highlighted that there is no problem if the Brazilian attacker leaves Real Madrid: “If we get money from the Premier League for him, he can go.”

Can Kylian Mbappé win the Ballon d’Or this year?

One thing that fans believe is that Kylian Mbappé will finally fulfill his goal of winning the Ballon d’Or with Real Madrid. Thiago is a 9-year-old Real Madrid fan fulfilling his dream of visiting the stadium for the first time with his parents and knows who is winning this year’s award: “Vini Jr. can win the Ballon d’Or, but next time, Mbappe will. I think he can score 40 goals!”

Jorge agrees with Mbappé potentially winning the Ballon d’Or and told AS that he even believes the Frenchman can have a more significant impact than Cristiano Ronaldo: “Mbappé is more exciting than Ronaldo, and he should be the Ballon d’Or next year after Vini Jr. Let’s see how he goes, he could end up like Hazard, but I don’t think so”. He also highlighted his expectations for Real Madrid this coming season: “Madrid could and should win all six trophies this year; every trophy we don’t win will be a disappointment.”

Amid all the euphoria, there is always room for one or another friendly joke, and Guadalupe, not being clear about the winner, said, “As for the Ballon d’Or, I think it should go to Carvajal!”