Kylian Mbappe: Since Childhood, I Know My Fate Is Playing For Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappe was introduced at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium (photo: x @realmadrid)

JAKARTA - France striker Kylian Mbappe revealed on Tuesday 16 July that he was so confident that one day he would play for Real Madrid that he would start learning Spanish at school.

"Since I was a child, I knew my destiny was to play for Real Madrid," said Mbappe at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium which was full of fans, many of whom wore replica t-shirts with their names.

The 2018 World Cup winner arrived at a press conference with the model of the Bernabeu stadium which he said was given to him at the age of eight. He surprised journalists while speaking in almost perfect Spanish. He admitted that he began studying it at school and continued to be practiced with Spanish managers such as Luis Enrique and Mauricio Pochettino in Paris St Germain. Because he knows one day he will need it at his dream club.

"I'm not the best at school, but I have a dream of playing for Real Madrid and I know that speaking the language will help me adapt," he said.

In June, Real Madrid announced that Mbappe would join the LaLiga team as a free transfer player on a five-year contract. This ended several years of transfers. The club has been eyeing Mbappe in the past but failed to get the player, who extended his contract with PSG in May 2022 when the offer from the Spanish club was rejected.

Mbappe was greeted on stage in an introduction event by his compatriot and former Real Madrid player and manager Zinedine Zidane, who in 2012 invited Mbappe to visit the club when he was 13 years old, a visit he described as an important moment in his life.

During his seven years in Paris, Mbappe won six Ligue 1, four French trophies, and became PSG's top scorer with 256 goals. Unfortunately he failed to win the Champions League or Ballon d'Or. Mbappe reached the semifinals of the European Cup with France after experiencing a broken nose in the first match against Austria. He said he would speak with Real Madrid medical team and manager Carlos Ancelotti before deciding whether to undergo surgery due to the injury.

Mbappe, 25, joined Madrid's team already have stars like Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham and led by Ancelotti -- the most successful coach in Champions League history with five titles. Mbappe often plays as a left striker for his club and country, a position Vinicius also likes, but he doesn't see any competition in terms of position.

"I can play in all three positions up front. Where I will play doesn't matter to me," he said. "I arrived (at the club) and had to adapt to the team."