What shirt number will Mbappé wear at Real Madrid? What numbers has he worn in his career?

The Kylian Mbappé transfer saga is finally over, with Real Madrid somehow managing to get one of the worst’s best - if not the best - players on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. From the moment the France captain revealed he was angling for a move away from the Ligue 1 champions at the end of his contract, a switch to the LaLiga giants appeared inevitable, and so it has proved.

How did Real Madrid afford Mbappé?

Los Blancos have been preparing for Mbappé's arrival for quite some time, with a number of high earners (Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale, Marcelo) moved on to make space on the wage bill, and the new-and-improved Estadio Santiago Bernabéu offering the club a significant amount of additional revenue. Much of that will be going into Mbappé's pockets.

Attention will now turn to how manager Carlo Ancelotti will fit the forward into his starting lineup, especially given Vinícius Júnior usually occupies his preferred position on the left-hand side of the attack. There is still no out-and-out central striker on the roster and a vacant number 9 jersey, which has many wondering whether Mbappé may have to get used to playing in a central role, which he has previously voiced his displeasure at.

What numbers are available at Real Madrid?

Last summer, much was made of the decision to give Jude Bellingham the number 5 jersey, the young Englishman following in the footsteps of club legend Zinedine Zidane, a man the 19 year old described as his ‘idol’.

A quick look around the rest of the Madrid roster and there is one “free” number which appears to stand out above the rest for Mbappé, at least at first glance.

Numbers 1 through 25 are all taken, with the exception of 9 and 16. Karim Benzema wore the former in 13 of his 14 seasons at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu before leaving for Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023. Madrid had been leaving it free for an ‘elite-level’ attacker and now they have one. Surely it has Mbappé's name all over it?

Perhaps, although, as mentioned, the Frenchman has previously stated his preference for playing out wide rather than through the middle, which is normally associated with the number.

Which numbers has Mbappé previously worn?

On top of that, it’s a number the Frenchman has yet to have during his career. When Mbappé started out at Monaco, he wore the number 29 shirt for two seasons, which he also took for his first season at Paris Saint-Germain in 2017-18. It does appear to be free, in case it turns out he has some kind of emotional attachment to it.

Mbappé switched to number 7 in time for the 2018-19 campaign and has worn it at club level ever since, while he was had number 10 on his back for France almost from the moment he made his international debut in 2017.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s one-season omen?

The forward is unlikely to be getting the number 7 in Madrid anytime soon, with Vinicius Júnior having just taken it at the start of 2023-24 following the departure of Eden Hazard.

Veteran midfield schemer Luka Modric has just penned a new one-year contract extension, which means the number 10 won’t be available, at least for the next 12 months. Does that mean Mbappé follow in the footsteps of Blancos icon Cristiano Ronaldo, who wore 9 for a season before switching to his favourite number?