Mbappé opts for the number 10 and leaves the number 9 vacant at Real Madrid.

The somewhat enigmatic message conveyed six days ago by Kylian Mbappé was made official by Real Madrid on Tuesday. The French striker will wear the number 10 shirt next season, which until a few weeks ago belonged to Luka Modric , leaving the number 9 vacant.

Mbappé opts for the number he has worn since 2017 with France and with which he won the 2018 World Cup. He began his time with PSG, under Unai Emery , with the number 29, although he ended up opting for the 7, since the 10 belonged to Neymar . Not even the arrival of Leo Messi would change the hierarchies and the Argentine had to opt for the 30 at the Parc des Princes.

Now, Mbappé's decision brings to mind what happened to Cristiano Ronaldo , who wore the number 9 during his first season at the Bernabéu before returning to the number 7, which he had worn at Manchester United. Madrid's marketing strategy aims to capitalize on the popularity of the number 10, the number par excellence of the stars .

During his first season at Chamartín, Mbappé was crowned Golden Boot winner with the number 9, thanks to 44 goals in 48 matches, to which he added 10 assists. However, these formidable numbers didn't live up to the expectations of his signing, as the French star failed to fully assume his leadership role, and the team closed the season with two minor titles: the European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.

This change in the white dressing room leaves the number 9 shirt without an owner for the moment. A true emblem in Real Madrid, given that, in addition to Cristiano, Alfredo di Stéfano , Carlos Alonso Santillana , Hugo Sánchez and Karim Benzema also wore it.