REAL MADRID
Why can’t Real Madrid fans buy Mbappé No.9 jerseys just yet?
The Champions League winners confirmed the acquisition of the French striker ahead of the 2024-25 season.
“Hello, I’d like the new Real Madrid home jersey with Mbappé and No. 9 on the back please”. “I’m sorry sir, but we cannot sell official shirts with Mbappé's name just yet”.
This fictitious conversation is no doubt a common one being heard at Real Madrid club stores across the Spanish capital after the Bernabeu club confirmed the news on Monday that the French striker will be joining ‘Los Blancos’ on a five-year deal.
The move capped off a dramatic few days for the club after winning the Champions League at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. After the title celebrations on Sunday, Mbappé was confirmed on Monday and the following day the new 2024-25 home jerseys were unveiled but fans looking to get the name and number of the former PSG star will have to be patient.
First of July
Despite the Mbappé announcement on Monday, the striker is still officially a PSG registered player through to 30 June when legally his deal with the Ligue 1 side expires. In the meantime, Real Madrid, by law cannot commercialse any product bearing Mbappé's name until the first day of July when he officially becomes a player for the LaLiga club with his registration transferring from Paris to Madrid.
Everything points to Mbappé wearing the number 9 shirt left vacant by Karim Benzema when he moved to Al Ittihad for the 24-25 season and then take on the No. 10 jersey for the following campaign with Croatian veteran Luka Modric penning a season long extension to his deal.
Real Madrid are set for a financial bonanza from replica jersey sales with Mbappé one of the games most marketable players boasting 117 million followers on his Instagram account and 14 million on X and recently the 25-year-old was ranked by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential personalities in the world in 2023.